Day 130
My older son and I went to the community garden today to volunteer. To tell the truth, it was not our most uplifting act of kindness. This is the first year of this garden, and it off to a rocky start. As a matter of fact, most of what we did today was pick up rocks. The soil was donated and apparently has very little nutrition for the plants. Not much is thriving here, the plants the boys put in several weeks ago won't budge beyond two inch seedlings.
I had imagined when we started volunteering (The Seeds of Kindness, May 15 ) that, by this point in the summer, our time in the garden would be spent doing a little weeding and a lot harvesting. But like much of life's plans, it hasn't turned out that way. The trick now is trying to maintain my 10 and 11 year old's interest in and commitment to community service. We had told them that our work would help provide food for those who need it, but it's clear that not a whole lot of folks will be fed from the garden...this year.
And that's our hook. We are are putting in the time this year and it will help for next year. The garden coordinator M, who was hired after the initial planting, is working hard and has amazing ideas for the future. We tell our guys we will keep going to in order help M. make his plans come to fruition. And they are cooperative, if not enthusiastically so.
While it preferable that kindness and enthusiasm go hand in hand, I must grudgingly concede that they are sometimes mutually exclusive.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
An Act of Kindness With No Nagging Whatsoever
Day 129
I came home from work today and my son was excited to announce “We did your kind deed for you today.” Apparently my husband and sons loaded the car with buckets and gardening tools, and went down the street to do some weeding around the small World War II memorial, the one we discovered a few months ago when this project was just getting started (Memorial Day, May 31). It is the kind of thing you can pass a hundred times, but once you realize it is there you see it every time. And we had noticed that that the well groomed mulched patch of land we where we attended the service a short time ago was now being overtaken by weeds.
I have to admit, although I did not participate, I'm feeling pretty dang proud. One of the goals of this blog project is that my family will make kindness more part of our every day routine. And the guys went off and committed their own act without any nagging, er, prompting from me.
I said it before (and so did the guy from the A-Team) I love it when a plan comes together.
I came home from work today and my son was excited to announce “We did your kind deed for you today.” Apparently my husband and sons loaded the car with buckets and gardening tools, and went down the street to do some weeding around the small World War II memorial, the one we discovered a few months ago when this project was just getting started (Memorial Day, May 31). It is the kind of thing you can pass a hundred times, but once you realize it is there you see it every time. And we had noticed that that the well groomed mulched patch of land we where we attended the service a short time ago was now being overtaken by weeds.
I have to admit, although I did not participate, I'm feeling pretty dang proud. One of the goals of this blog project is that my family will make kindness more part of our every day routine. And the guys went off and committed their own act without any nagging, er, prompting from me.
I said it before (and so did the guy from the A-Team) I love it when a plan comes together.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Kindness At The Ready
Day 128
I have found just the thing for times when the day is coming to a close and I've yet to commit my daily act of kindness. Searching the web, I discovered that I'm not the only one doing this kindness thing. There are many talented folks out there doing creative things miles beyond my skill set. One website Kind Over Matter (you have to love the name) has a blog that focuses “ heavily on the handmade community....dedicated to kind acts, inspirational art and kind projects.” So, that's not quite me. I'm not “artsy” by any stretch of the imagination but I am certainly trying to be kind. I took a look so see what ideas I could borrow. There is lots beautiful stuff there AND a section called freebies where you can download what I'm calling “tools of kindness.”
Today the my boys and I downloaded some paper flowers that you cut out, and stick a lollipop in the middle. On the petals it says “Smile, this is a random act of kindness.” We cut and then assembled them into lovely Tootsie-Pop flowers, their destination at this point unknown. They are sitting in a cup on the counter, kindness at the ready.
I found the website http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/ through another blog http://deliberate-acts-of-kindness.blogspot.com/
I have found just the thing for times when the day is coming to a close and I've yet to commit my daily act of kindness. Searching the web, I discovered that I'm not the only one doing this kindness thing. There are many talented folks out there doing creative things miles beyond my skill set. One website Kind Over Matter (you have to love the name) has a blog that focuses “ heavily on the handmade community....dedicated to kind acts, inspirational art and kind projects.” So, that's not quite me. I'm not “artsy” by any stretch of the imagination but I am certainly trying to be kind. I took a look so see what ideas I could borrow. There is lots beautiful stuff there AND a section called freebies where you can download what I'm calling “tools of kindness.”
Today the my boys and I downloaded some paper flowers that you cut out, and stick a lollipop in the middle. On the petals it says “Smile, this is a random act of kindness.” We cut and then assembled them into lovely Tootsie-Pop flowers, their destination at this point unknown. They are sitting in a cup on the counter, kindness at the ready.
I found the website http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/ through another blog http://deliberate-acts-of-kindness.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
One Act of Kindness Not For Me
Day 127
Some people are kind without even trying. Like K. where I work. He's the type of person whom you can never imagine saying a bad word about anyone. Unlike me, who is undertaking this whole year long project to try to be more kind, K. does it effortlessly.
Yesterday when I arrived at the office, I noticed a sad little dead squirrel right outside A.'s window. OK, well I guess the squirrel wasn't sad, being dead and all, but it was a pitiful sight. A. hadn't arrived yet, but we all knew she would be heartbroken. Her compassion for animals legendary; she has been known to pick up deceased squirrels from from the side of the road in order to give them a proper burial.
While we were standing around discussing how upset A. would be and the need to call building maintenance to deal with the dearly departed, K. walked past us donning rubber gloves that are kept somewhere in the office, I suppose for circumstances such as these. He said he didn't want A. to be upset, and he went outside and helped the squirrel to it's final resting place, details beyond these not needed here. And I thought, “there's one act of kindness I'm not sorry I passed on.” Not only did I pass, I later left a bottle of hand sanitizer on his desk, with a picture of a squirrel taped to it.
But today I thought more about how incredibly nice it was of K. to do this, and how graciously he accepted the ribbing about his kindness. I wrote him a card, all kidding aside, to let him know how much his good-heated demeanor is appreciated, and that it gives us all something to aspire to.
Some people are kind without even trying. Like K. where I work. He's the type of person whom you can never imagine saying a bad word about anyone. Unlike me, who is undertaking this whole year long project to try to be more kind, K. does it effortlessly.
Yesterday when I arrived at the office, I noticed a sad little dead squirrel right outside A.'s window. OK, well I guess the squirrel wasn't sad, being dead and all, but it was a pitiful sight. A. hadn't arrived yet, but we all knew she would be heartbroken. Her compassion for animals legendary; she has been known to pick up deceased squirrels from from the side of the road in order to give them a proper burial.
While we were standing around discussing how upset A. would be and the need to call building maintenance to deal with the dearly departed, K. walked past us donning rubber gloves that are kept somewhere in the office, I suppose for circumstances such as these. He said he didn't want A. to be upset, and he went outside and helped the squirrel to it's final resting place, details beyond these not needed here. And I thought, “there's one act of kindness I'm not sorry I passed on.” Not only did I pass, I later left a bottle of hand sanitizer on his desk, with a picture of a squirrel taped to it.
But today I thought more about how incredibly nice it was of K. to do this, and how graciously he accepted the ribbing about his kindness. I wrote him a card, all kidding aside, to let him know how much his good-heated demeanor is appreciated, and that it gives us all something to aspire to.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Not Too Foo Foo For Me
Day 126
Recently I put out a plea for blog ideas and I received some great suggestions. My cousin's idea involved putting a little money in an envelope and leaving it for someone to discover, with a note saying that it was a “pocket full of sunshine.” The thought being that the finder would put their pocket and use it to do something nice for themselves.
At first I cringed a bit. Not at the idea, which I thought was fabulous, but the term “pocket full of sunshine” part. For lack of a better term it just seemed too “foo-foo,” for me. It’s not really my personality to go around giving sunshine away. I’m more the pull weeds and pick up trash kind of gal.
But then I thought about my cousin who suggested it. It is an understatement to describe her as an amazing woman. She is a phenomenal harp player, and I can certainly see one associating that with beautiful sunshine. But she is also a fire fighter and a paramedic in a one of the tougher urban areas in the country. And a marathon runner. So, if the phrase “pocket full of sunshine” isn’t too foo-foo for her, it certainly can’t be for me.
So I did it. I left an envelope with 5 dollars by the bus stop near my office, complete with a note instructing the finder use it for a treat and yes, to consider it a pocket full of sunshine.
Recently I put out a plea for blog ideas and I received some great suggestions. My cousin's idea involved putting a little money in an envelope and leaving it for someone to discover, with a note saying that it was a “pocket full of sunshine.” The thought being that the finder would put their pocket and use it to do something nice for themselves.
At first I cringed a bit. Not at the idea, which I thought was fabulous, but the term “pocket full of sunshine” part. For lack of a better term it just seemed too “foo-foo,” for me. It’s not really my personality to go around giving sunshine away. I’m more the pull weeds and pick up trash kind of gal.
But then I thought about my cousin who suggested it. It is an understatement to describe her as an amazing woman. She is a phenomenal harp player, and I can certainly see one associating that with beautiful sunshine. But she is also a fire fighter and a paramedic in a one of the tougher urban areas in the country. And a marathon runner. So, if the phrase “pocket full of sunshine” isn’t too foo-foo for her, it certainly can’t be for me.
So I did it. I left an envelope with 5 dollars by the bus stop near my office, complete with a note instructing the finder use it for a treat and yes, to consider it a pocket full of sunshine.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Shades of Green
Day 125
I went for a walk today and a woman in my neighborhood, about a mile from my house, was out working in her vegetable garden. I complimented about how lush it looked. That may not seem like a significant act of kindness, but it was harder than you think.
You see, my husband and I are intensely jealous of her garden. Every year, no matter how much compost we put on ours, hers is better. No matter how often we weed, we are overrun and she has none. Her tomato plants are fuller, her corn is taller. Her cucumber plants seem to never stop producing. As a matter of fact we refer to her as the “Cucumber Lady,” although we do make an effort to call her Mrs. S. to her face.
Today I said “Mrs. S your garden looks absolutely fabulous, as usual. I don't know how you have been able to keep it looking so good with the incredible heat this month.” She shook her head and indicated she thought there was room for improvement. But she beamed and it was clear her vegetables were a great source of pride.
The green-eyed monster reared it's ugly head, but in the name of kindness, I ignored it and focused instead on the green of her garden.
I went for a walk today and a woman in my neighborhood, about a mile from my house, was out working in her vegetable garden. I complimented about how lush it looked. That may not seem like a significant act of kindness, but it was harder than you think.
You see, my husband and I are intensely jealous of her garden. Every year, no matter how much compost we put on ours, hers is better. No matter how often we weed, we are overrun and she has none. Her tomato plants are fuller, her corn is taller. Her cucumber plants seem to never stop producing. As a matter of fact we refer to her as the “Cucumber Lady,” although we do make an effort to call her Mrs. S. to her face.
Today I said “Mrs. S your garden looks absolutely fabulous, as usual. I don't know how you have been able to keep it looking so good with the incredible heat this month.” She shook her head and indicated she thought there was room for improvement. But she beamed and it was clear her vegetables were a great source of pride.
The green-eyed monster reared it's ugly head, but in the name of kindness, I ignored it and focused instead on the green of her garden.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
One Third of the Way
Day 124
Today I am officially one third of the way through this project. Most importantly this means only two thirds of the year to go. The questions I am asked most frequently at this point is “Why are you doing this?” and “Are you getting tired of it yet?”
As for the why, there are several reasons. My husband and I always tell our kids when they ask about religion, or more specifically the lack of it in our lives, that the most important thing that is to be kind to others. This project is an attempt to make sure that kindness is something we do, not just something we say we do. Why do it in the form of a blog? Because there is nothing like making an intention public to help you follow though.
How's it going so far? Well, sometimes I have found it is difficult let go of the notion that a fascinating event involving kindness and strangers is going to happen each and every day. I definitely miscalculated on that one. But in order to survive the next eight months I need to accept that something does not have to be interesting to be blog worthy. And that, although “kindness to a stranger” is a catchy term, sometimes it is OK to include friends and family in those blogable moments.
“What has been the best part of doing this project?” OK, well actually, no one has asked me that question, but I'm going to answer it anyway. When people tell me that they were motivated to be kind in some way because of reading this blog, I LOVE it! It was not my intention to affect anyone's behavior, beyond my own and my family's, but when I hear that there is a ripple beyond cyberspace, it feels awesome, and gives me motivation to keep going.
So what was the kind act to commemorate being one third of the way there? In staying with the “non-fascinating” theme, my husband and son bought a bucket of golf balls at the driving range for the next person. It was at a local golf course whose mission is to provide the opportunity to golf for everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. I'm throwing that last detail in there for those who may believe a golfer who can't afford to golf is an oxymoron.
Four months down, eight to go...
Today I am officially one third of the way through this project. Most importantly this means only two thirds of the year to go. The questions I am asked most frequently at this point is “Why are you doing this?” and “Are you getting tired of it yet?”
As for the why, there are several reasons. My husband and I always tell our kids when they ask about religion, or more specifically the lack of it in our lives, that the most important thing that is to be kind to others. This project is an attempt to make sure that kindness is something we do, not just something we say we do. Why do it in the form of a blog? Because there is nothing like making an intention public to help you follow though.
How's it going so far? Well, sometimes I have found it is difficult let go of the notion that a fascinating event involving kindness and strangers is going to happen each and every day. I definitely miscalculated on that one. But in order to survive the next eight months I need to accept that something does not have to be interesting to be blog worthy. And that, although “kindness to a stranger” is a catchy term, sometimes it is OK to include friends and family in those blogable moments.
“What has been the best part of doing this project?” OK, well actually, no one has asked me that question, but I'm going to answer it anyway. When people tell me that they were motivated to be kind in some way because of reading this blog, I LOVE it! It was not my intention to affect anyone's behavior, beyond my own and my family's, but when I hear that there is a ripple beyond cyberspace, it feels awesome, and gives me motivation to keep going.
So what was the kind act to commemorate being one third of the way there? In staying with the “non-fascinating” theme, my husband and son bought a bucket of golf balls at the driving range for the next person. It was at a local golf course whose mission is to provide the opportunity to golf for everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. I'm throwing that last detail in there for those who may believe a golfer who can't afford to golf is an oxymoron.
Four months down, eight to go...
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