Sunday, December 14, 2008

Fun Monday - Random Acts of Kindness



Mommy Wizdom is our host for this week! Her assignment:

Your job this week is to go out and perform a random act of kindness. Now, before you freak out, please read on. This is actually really easy!! This act may be for someone you know or for a perfect stranger. It can be big or small, it'll all up to you. Obviously, it should be something within your means.

Before I knew it, a week had passed and today I wracked my brain trying to think of some random act of kindness that I did. Nothing actually stuck out in my mind - none that were done with the thought "here's a random act of kindness that I can perform."

But as I thought about it a little longer, I realized that my week was full of random acts of kindness. I do them without thinking because, well, that's the kind of person I am (please don't throw tomatoes at me. If you must throw something, make it chocolate!).

I complimented a co-worker on her appearance. Her face lit up.

I let someone get in front of me in line at the store because they had fewer items than I did and I wasn't in a hurry. She was. So I let her go.

We had the "Martha Speaks" costume for the Santa Paws parade this weekend and I made her a giant Santa hat to wear in the parade.

The cub scouts had a pack meeting this week where we (the parents) bought basic toiletry supplies for the women and children at Refuge House and the kids made up the baskets. I volunteered to provide the snack for about 40 kids, so I spent the previous day baking LOTS of cookies.

While the content of this week's kindnesses are somewhat holiday specific, they're fairly representative of my usual weeks. I don't go too far out of my way usually, but I do take advantage of opportunities to be kind when they present themselves - and they present themselves quite frequently.

I hope you all have a wonderful Monday!!!

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just goes to show you, when you live by the "Golden Rule, its a good recipe for how to live your life.

Trixie Twatwaffle said...

you also send the sweetest notes to those of us who are having a craptastic time at the end of her pregnancy.

When you wrote that you had to wrack your brain trying to think of something you did - I laughed.

You are full of kindness, my friend.

IamwhoIam said...

Hey good list but I bet you left a few off just because you do them without thought.

:) to you

Anonymous said...

I think it's wonderful that kindness is rote to you. I know for me, when I'm rushing around in the busy-ness of life, it's hard to "see" those opportunities you speak of.

Thanks for participating. Have a wonderful week!

*hands over some chocolate to you*

SwampAngel65 said...

It's the little things we do everyday that make the most difference, I think. I'm not doing FM this week, but I will say that everyday, i try to do one random act of driving kindness, ie. let a car get in front of me, let someone turn before me at a way stop...stupid, but I feel better doing it.

karisma said...

Karisma says while throwing chocolate at Sayre, you would not be the girl we all love if you did not do stuff like that daily! I also love to see people smile, it really makes my day! I always smile at grumpy looking people out in public much to the disgust of whoever I am with, but you know 9/10 times they smile back! Just lovely!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I am so glad I wasn't the only one that had a hard time remembering what I had done. It just comes naturally, so I don't think about it. I love the way you said you commented on a co-workers appearance and her face lit up. I try that with the co-worker I don't like so much, and she scowls. HA!

Driftwood and Pumpkin said...

Those examples are indeed RAK! I tend to do those things for people without thinking as well. It is just so nice to be a courteous and likable person!

Anonymous said...

I hosted this very same FM topic about a year and a half ago.

Good for you. Nothing like random acts of kindness to spread the holiday cheer.

Anonymous said...

Sayre...excellent post. I think there are lots of things that we do every day just because it's "the right thing to do"...and perhaps we don't stop and think or give ourselves credit for it. And by "we" I mean "you" :-) I couldn't get my act together in time for FM. *sigh* If anyone throws chocolate at you, let me know so I can stand right beside you, ok?

Carrie @carrieloves said...

Those are great... it's always nice to see someone's face light up after a compliment.

Heather said...

thinking of others and doing what you can when you can makes a big difference for everyone involved. Your RAK's are sweet and genuine.

(And I have been that rushed mom who has to pick up her kids at school or somewhere else and always appreciate someone who lets me go in front of them. I try and do the same when I am not in a rush because of it.)

Cruise Mom said...

It would be so nice if just everyone did one random act, like letting someone go in front of them in the store (or the parking lot) every day... God bless you for your kindness!

Rhonda Gales said...

I really enjoyed your post. It is so true, opportunities to be kind do present themselves frequently. We need to take advantage of them.

Faye said...

Your week defined random acts of kindness. You just went about your business and, without thinking about it, did both small and big things to make people's lives better. I'll bet you cub scout is proud that HIS mother makes the time to bake cookies instead of buzzing past the grocery bakery.

PinkPiddyPaws said...

Monday was good. Nothing exploded, most everything worked and I didn't lose anymore hair. :)

Happy Holidays!!!

Gattina said...

You see, all in all you are a very kind person !
Now we should do the same assignment the other way around, the not so kind things we did, lol !

Alison said...

Great list...I also have done the "let someone in front of you in line" kindness before. It amazes me how shocked people are when you are kind to them.

Ari_1965 said...

Good for you.

Tracy said...

Nicely said. You summed up how I think about this topic and that is, we do random acts of kindness everyday without thinking about them. Since this assignment, I think about doing more meaningful RAK.

Hula Girl at Heart said...

Wonderful!! So many opportunites found...and taken. You are a kind soul.