“Excuse me, but why are you doing this?”.
Such a simple question
really.
But no simple answer.
We spent about an hour and
a half today spreading kindness at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia. We both had the day off of work, so had time
to use to do whatever we liked. And what
we realized we would like is: giving treats to strangers.
If that sounds random,
well, it was.
My partner David had a
doctor’s appointment today in the Inova complex. When it was finished, I asked if he would like
to join me in doing something kind. He’s
always up for an adventure, so as expected, he said yes.
We drove to the nearby Lidl
grocery store and stocked up on snacks - chips, gummies, chocolates. Then
we headed back to the hospital to find people to surprise.
We started in the
radiology department. My sister got
radiation when she had brain cancer, so I know what it is like to sit in the
waiting room chairs and hope that your loved one is going to be ok. Our neighbor is currently undergoing
treatment at Inova, and we drove him to a couple of appointments there, so we
knew exactly where to head.
The kindness was simple –
walk up to people and ask if they would like a snack.
It turns out, that little
act of kindness went a very, very long way.
People were delighted to be given a snack. The vast majority said yes and eagerly made
their choice.
But really, I think it was
really about more than the food.
It was about someone
acknowledging them. Being willing to say
hello. Smiling. Being present.
We gave treats to
patients. To family members. To care givers. We even gave a treat to someone who
recognized us from a local Facebook group (how random).
If you have never had treatment
for cancer or had a loved one who has, you may not know about “the bell”. When a patient finishes their final
treatment, they get to ring a big bell to announce that they are done. Well, we were fortunate enough today to get
to witness a woman ring the bell.
She was wearing a hat – I am
guessing she did not have hair. She was
a tiny woman, but her spirit was big. She
rang that bell and we hooted and cheered from all the way across the room. And as we cheered, others in the waiting room
felt they were granted permission to join in, too. The patient hugged the person who was with
her, likely her daughter or maybe sister.
They cried. The nurses
cried. I cried. Another woman in the waiting room cried.
Of course I offered the
bell ringer some treats and congratulated her.
As I was walking back to
my seat, that’s when someone said, “Excuse me, why are you doing this?”.
They weren’t judging us or
anything, they were just genuinely curious why two random strangers were
hanging out in a lobby waiting for new patients to check in for their
appointments.
I didn’t have a good
answer ready. So, I just said something
like, “Oh, my husband had a doctor’s appointment in the building today, so we
decided to pass out snacks while we were here.
We’ve been the people sitting in the chairs waiting, so we understand it
is not easy.”
And that was a correct
answer.
Sure, I could have also
explained about Kindness Activist. About
how we find ourselves in situations like this very often. How, because of amazing donors to our non-profit,
we have money to do random acts of kindness like this and spread joy.
But none of that explanation
was necessary really.
I guess the real answer to
“Why are you doing this?” is:
Because we can. Because we love to. Because spreading kindness has become part of
our lives, part of our DNA. Because the
world could use more kindness.
It doesn’t take a lot to be
kind.
Just an open heart.
An open mind.
A bit of time.
A touch of courage.
A lot of compassion.
Perhaps some creativity.
And for sure some
awareness.
Being kind makes the world
a better place.
And sometimes, if you are
lucky, being kind puts you in the exact right location at the exact right time,
and you can cheer when somebody rings the bell.
Just be kind.
Kindness Activist funds
spent: $26.34
Hearts warmed: around 50 (52 if you count our hearts)
P.S. - if you would like to donate to Kindness Activist, a 501C3, you can do so via Venmo (@KindnessActivist) or PayPal (@KindnessActivist). Your donation is tax deductible and will be used to spread kindness in the world.
