I love the quote from the movie 'Evan Almighty' where Morgan Freeman, playing God, is talking to Steve Carrell, playing Evan;
God: "How do we change the world?"
Evan: "One single act of random kindness at a time."
God: (While writing A R K in the dirt) "One Act, of, Random, Kindness"
I know this isn't my typical blog post but in the spirit of Christmas I wanted to share a little happiness with the world, and give a few ideas for everyone else to share happiness as well. Some of these acts I have done, some I want to do, and some I have seen others do. I tried to find some that cost little to no money, since the kindness is in the act itself. These are acts that I would try to do in secret when possible (some of them I know can't) since kindness comes from the heart, not performing the deed for praise. That is the number one reason I will leave it unknown which ones I have tried. I am trying to live a better life, and that includes deepening my relationship with God. If you do not believe that is also as acceptable, but for me I am trying to follow Matthew 6:1-4 1 "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven .2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Taking these thoughts into consideration, this is the list of 35 items that I have come up with;
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Reverse Advent Calendar- Starting December 1, place a non-perishable food item in a basket or box. On Christmas Eve, take the items to a local food shelter. This one I would try to do earlier in the morning so the food can be given out to families in time for meals.
Compliment a stranger- if you love someone’s sweater, or the way they did their hair or makeup, tell them. Sometimes a small compliment goes a long way in brightening someone’s day. Tell the cashier ringing you up how great she was. Just bring joy.
Movie night for a stranger- Leave a gift card attached to a Redbox with a note telling them to enjoy popcorn or other snacks with their movie. This could have been leaving a package of popcorn, but with fears that items have been tampered with I would go with the gift card for them.
Care Package- Put together a care package for an overseas soldier. Most of these service men and women are away for extremely long periods of time, in a country completely foreign and different from everything they know. They are over there fighting to protect us and bring freedom to oppressed people. I think giving them a small token of appreciation is an easy thank you. For ideas and how to ship visit military.com
Sponsor a family- Find a family in need and take a collection for them. You can either buy items or gift cards for them, or gift them the money directly. There are many families that are in need, being a beacon of light in their darkness is a gift in itself.
Give a note- Hand a note to a stranger that looks stressed or overwhelmed reminding them that they are amazing. If you want to spend a little money, vistaprint.com
Let someone in line ahead of you- If there is someone with only a few items, let them cut ahead of you in line. They will most definitely appreciate this, especially if they happen to have a small child with them during the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
Pay for someone’s meal- Ask to pay for the car behind you in a drive through. I have heard stories of this starting with one person and continuing for hours. Hearing about it being paid forward is beautiful. This can also be done in an restaurant. Just tell the waiter you want to pay for a table of your choosing's meal.
Donate time- Volunteer at a soup kitchen, shelter, animal shelter, or wherever your heart pulls you. There is no gift like the gift of time.
Donate blood- This one can literally help save a life. There are more requirements for this one to maintain your health as well, but this is extremely easy (even for people like me who are terrified of needles) and is constantly a need in our country.
Pick up litter- If you see something on the sidewalk, toss it in the trash can or recycling bin. Taking the 30 seconds to discard of waste will help keep the area beautiful, as well as help out any potential animals that the litter could harm.
Pay for parking- Keep a few quarters and pay for someone’s parking if their meter is about to expire. They will appreciate not coming back to their car to see a ticket on the windshield.
Make a home cooked meal for an elderly or sick person- If there is someone you know that has no one caring for them, and they are home bound for whatever reason, they will love having a home cooked meal made with love to eat.
Leave goodies for Delivery drivers/ postal workers- Leaving bottles of water on the porch or in the mailbox for the postal workers along with some snacks is an easy way to let these hard working people know you appreciate them. Whether it is the middle of summer and they need to quench their thirst, or the middle of the crazy holiday shipping season where they are working more hours, they will appreciate this thoughtful little act.
Hold the door for someone- The caveat with this is to not hold it when the person is so far away that they feel the need to half run to the door and then feel awkward. Elderly people especially seem to love this being done, and with so many doors being heavier it makes things a little easier on them.
Donate your hair- There are many places that will take your donated hair and make wigs for cancer patients. There are arguments on which one is the best, so do your research on this one for pros and cons of each charity as well as checking out the requirements for the donation.
Give a gift card to a homeless person- This one may catch a little feedback. There are many pan handlers in my city who are not struggling in any way and use the money they gather to buy alcohol or just for spare cash. There are also a large number of people actually suffering. It is better to donate to a possible fraud than to bypass an actual person in need is my thought, but instead of cash give out a gift card to a nearby restaurant for a nice warm meal.
Send flowers to a stranger in the hospital- Pick a unit and have them delivered with a note saying to give them to a patient who does not receive many visitors or gifts.
Donate toiletries to a shelter- homeless shelters are in dire need of toiletries for their residents. Shaving cream, razors, shampoos and soaps, feminine products... all of these would be of help to the shelter and the residents in need.
Donate phone cards to a women's shelter- women escaping from abusive relationships still need ways to maintain contact. Lots of places use donated phones and pre-paid plans so the women are harder to track down. Donating no longer used phones or phone cards to these places protecting these women can be the difference between life and death for these women who may need to call for help.
Bake treats for the local Sheriff, EMT or Fire Department- If you think they may be hesitant about baked goods, you can also bring pre-packaged snacks as a way to thank these men and women for all they do for us in keeping us safe, and putting their lives on the line for us every day.
Leave coupons behind- When cutting out coupons, or when you receive them in the mail, if you see some that you know you won't use, take them to the store and place them next to the items on sale.
Donate to a pet shelter- Animal shelters are constantly in need of supplies due to the number of animals they are caring for. This number unfortunately grows after the holidays when pets are returned are sent there after turning out to be more work than planned when they were adopted as a Christmas gift. Donating towels, blankets, laundry detergent, foods and litter goes a long way.
Leave a dollar or two in the Dollar Tree- you can either leave this next to an "essential item" that people need more often, or leave it hidden in the toy aisle so a child can find an unexpected surprise.
Gas up and wash your significant others car when you have it- Let them know you love and appreciate them, this is an easy surprise that is so often overlooked.
Say ‘Thank you’- Such a simple term that is so often forgotten.
Donate no longer needed items to charity- Gently worn items, household items, toys... Things you no longer want or need will be a blessing to someone who can't afford them.
Bring a treat to work- Something as small as K-cups for the office Keurig or donuts can brighten the whole team for the day.
Tip generously- when someone offers exceptional service, give them a larger than normal tip, and if possible, ask for the manager and let them know how exceptional your serve was. It may not seem like it, but the managers keep track of that.
Offer to take a picture- See someone, or a group, trying to take a photo but it doesn't include everyone or cuts out the background they wanted? Offer to take the photo for them to include everyone and the scenery they wanted.
Leave change on the vending machine- Tape quarters to a machine with a note that this treat is on you. Snack machines, soda machines or even gumball machines for children.
Leave the ingredients and a recipe for a dinner on someone’s doorstep- Leave a basket with the recipe on someone's doorstep. This works better for people you know so as to not risk them having an allergy, but generic items can also be left for strangers.
Leave inspirational quotes in random places- Leave a note on the bathroom mirror in the store or hidden in books or items in boxes so they find the surprise later.
Drop off crayons and coloring books at a doctors office- Kids often end up waiting for extended periods of time for their appointments, or with their caregivers. Giving them something to do will help everyone with the lengthy wait.
Feed birds- With many places having snow, food becomes harder for birds to access. Buy some seed and feed the bids during the winter months.