The Receiving End of Kindness

Day 359

All day I hoped for an opportunity to commit a kind act that didn't involve money and that would be absolutely fascinating to write about.  By mid afternoon I was on my way to pick up my kids and I decided it was more important to do SOMETHING than wait, just in case something never happened.  I  stopped to get some seeds for our bird feeder and briefly considered whether that could be my kind act, feeding the birds, but decided against it. Kind of a cop out, really. Instead I bought a five dollar gift card from the store and asked the cashier to give it to another customer.  I've done this before so it neither original nor fascinating.  But I have to say, it sure was fun!

And shortly after I got home with the boys something even more fun happened. A woman arrived at the house to deliver flowers for me.  They were from my niece and her husband and the note read "It's give flowers day to you!  We are inspired by your kindness."

Being kind all year has had it's rewards, but I have to admit, being on the receiving end just melted my heart.

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Continuing with the top 10 reasons I am glad I did this blog, in no particular order, Number 7:

People from all over this country and over a dozen other countries have read the blog, helping to remind me that the world is smaller than it seems and we are all connected.

The March Madness of Giving Flowers to a Stranger

I started my day knowing exactly how I was going to celebrate Give Flowers to a Stranger Day. We were planning to go out to breakfast after my boys' soccer game, which was at 7 AM. How unkind is THAT to have a game scheduled at that time on a Sunday morning? The plan was to leave the flowers, pink Gerber Daisies, somewhere in the restaurant.

The boys' team won the first game which meant they had another game at 8:00 AM, as today was the playoffs. If they won that game, then they had another one at 9:30. Now this could have meant a couple of things. I wouldn't have breakfast until closer to lunch time. Or we would give up the going out to breakfast idea altogether and just go home, forcing me to come up with a plan B for GFTSD. So I did something unkind; I hoped they would lose. Unfortunately for the team my hopes came true but at least I was kind enough to ACT disappointed.

By 9 AM the breakfast place was busy and I had to be super sneaky to get the flowers somewhere without being seen.  I put them on a table near us as a family was leaving, but before the staff swooped in to clean. The bus boy, a totally adorable a teenager, found them and showed them to the waitress along with the note I had written telling the finder to enjoy the flowers and consider it a random act of kindness. She looked around shocked, not in good way, and said rather loudly “Who gave permission to do this?” Not quite the response I was hoping for, and I got very busy looking at the menu so I wouldn't be accused of committing such an offense. She walked away and left the boy to clean the table. Apparently undeterred by his co-worker's outrage, the young man quickly took the flowers and with a smile, carefully placed them for someone else to find behind the counter near where the waitresses picked up the orders.

We didn't get to see who discovered them but it was just as much fun to see the bus boy enjoy taking part in what I can only assume was his first GFTSD.

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Continuing with the top 10 reasons I am glad I did this blog, in no particular order, Number 8

The birth of Give Flowers to a Stranger Day. Not only is it fun to celebrate every month, I am incredibly grateful for those who have participated. Giving flowers to a stranger is rewarding but actually can be more difficult than it seems; it's just not something one does in the course of their daily routine. Despite this, many people celebrated along with me. Friends, family and readers all over the country all helped make this a genuine holiday for kindness.

And I've had so much fun with it that it will continue in my friend Kim's and my new blog adventure The ABC's of Kindness.

Kindly Take These Doughnuts

Day 357


Friday I donated blood and for my trouble I received a coupon for a dozen free doughnuts. I immediately knew that they would be use for some type of kind act.

First I thought could bring them to work. However, I am aware that this might not be viewed as kind by my co-workers who were trying to eat healthy and or lose weight. Then I thought I would take them  to a police station as a thank you for the service of the officers. But then I considered that perhaps that would be seen as some type joke, poking fun at the stereotype of police officers always hanging around doughnut shops. And that wouldn't be kind at all.

This afternoon I was at the grocery store getting flowers (because tomorrow is the 27th, Give Flowers to a Stranger Day) and I decided to take a shortcut by just giving someone the coupon. The young man who was the cashier looked like a good choice. He was pleasant and friendly, young and thin. The second part was important because he seemed of the age and build that he wouldn't spend too much time perseverating about calories, carbs, or fat content. “This may seem like an odd question, but do you like doughnuts?” I asked. “Sure” he replied, with just enough enthusiasm that I believed he was telling the truth and not simply being polite. “Then this is for you” I said handing over the coupon. His surprise and appreciation appeared genuine, making it an all around fun activity for me.

Continuing with the top 10 count down of reasons I am glad that I did this blog, in no particular order, number 8:

It feels like a great accomplishment to commit to doing something every day for a year and then actually do it And I'm aware that I'm not done yet, but the chances of me quitting in the next week are pretty slim, so I think it's safe to put this out there.

Walk for Kindness and the Cure

Day 356

An easy call today for an act of kindness for a stranger.   My niece, who is a fourth grade teacher,  posted on her facebook page that she is walking and collecting donations for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for a Cure, in support of one of her students who has diabetes.  This is something that is near and dear to me in a couple of ways.  One, I love my niece, so supporting her is important.  And two, I love my husband, who happens to have type 1 diabetes. This made it quite clear what today's kind action should be.

Continuing with the top 10 count down of reasons I am glad that I did this blog, in no particular order, number 9:

It has been an avenue to be in touch with some old friends from my past which has been fun and helped me appreciate the importance of such connections in my life.

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I am frequently asked if I am going to keep up with this blog after the year is over, the answer is a resounding NO.  While I plan on kindness being part of my daily routine, writing about it every night will not be.  And there is the added pressure that I may be disowned by my family if I even attempt to consider it.  BUT, writing about it every couple of days, in collaboration with a friend?  That might be a fun idea....A new blog will be born soon and you can find it here: The ABCs of Kindness.

Counting Down

Day 355

Ten days to go.  While there are some times I am asking myself, when is this project going to be over, for the most part, it has been a challenge I feel great that I took on. Especially since the end is in sight.  In recognition of this benchmark I will begin the count down of the top 10 reasons I am glad that I did this blog, in no particular order.


Number 10. Because I  talked to many folks this year whom I may never have even noticed, let alone spoken to.

So what did I do today?  I gave blood, which is a true act of kindness to a stranger I might add, not like some of them that I may have tried to sneak through under this heading over the course of this year.

And for all the people who have asked if I am going to keep up with this blog after the year is over, the answer is a resounding NO.  While I plan on kindness being part of my daily routine, writing about it every night will not be.  And there is the added pressure that I may be disowned by my family if I even attempt to consider it.  BUT, writing about it every couple of days, in collaboration with a friend?  That might be a fun idea....

Coming soon!  The ABCs of Kindness.

The Seeds of Kindness

Day 354

One of the goals of this blog project was to provide the motivation for my family to become more involved in volunteer work.  Last spring we started helping out at a local community garden. While my boys weren't as enthusiastic about it as I hoped they would be, they did it with minimal complaint which I considered a success. We've decided to volunteer (actually my husband and I decided, our sons didn't get a vote) again this year and started today by planting seeds which will, with a little luck, turn into plants to donate.

The boys still aren't so eager that they are counting down the days until we report to the community garden for opening day (April 16th) but they sure are looking forward to those seeds popping up. One small step for community service, one giant leap for soon-to-be sprouting vegetable plants.

Chasing Those Blogable Moments

Day 353

I chased down a family in the parking lot after soccer practice tonight to give them the sweatshirt the boy had dropped on the way to the car.  They were grateful and I felt fortunate for the blogable moment.