There is something about a random act of kindness that feeds us as much as it feeds the recipient.
Remember the movie, “Pay It Forward?” In it a young boy wonders how it would be if he did something nice for three people and asked those three people to do something nice for three more people? Pretty soon thousands of people were doing nice thing for other people by paying it forward.
In a world with so many problems and so much harshness, it sometimes seems as if the ship will never right itself. But one of the things that brings gladness to me is reaching out to others with an act of kindness.
It’s the little things that count, and the more of us who practice the little things, the bigger love becomes. Here some kindness practices I use in my life:
Compliment Strangers
You can, for example, tell the bank teller how much you like her necklace or how pretty her hair is. Strangers who receive a compliment often look a little surprised and then their face softens in appreciation.
That warms my heart.
Say Thank You to Those Around You
My husband does a lot for me and because we are together all of the time, it’s easy to take what he does for granted. He always lights up when I remember to say, “hey, thanks for putting the dishes in the dishwasher,” or “thanks for stopping by the market.”
He reacts to those acknowledgments with a smile and hug.
Offer to Help
Hold a door open for the person behind you. Ask the older lady at the grocery store if you can carry her package to the car for her. Bring in your neighbor’s trashcan when you bring in your own.
When our next-door neighbor had a new baby, I brought in their trashcans and rolled them to the garage in their driveway. They were so pleased about it that they started bringing in my trash cans, which led to my bringing them homemade apple butter which led to them bringing me fresh eggs from their chickens. We were the best neighbors ever! Click here to continue reading.
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