Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Kindness over the next few months

(Note: this is not a post about the election, so don't panic if you are trying to avoid political discussions.)

The presidential election in the US is in ~100 days, and many of us have noticed that it's hard not to get caught up in the endless back & forth, memes & heated debates about insert issue X here. This is not to say that vigorous political debate is a bad thing. But, right now, I need to feel that I'm making positive changes, rather than contributing to that back & forth. It's better for my mental health if I am contributing positively right now.

So, inspired by a friend (ironically, on Facebook), I'm going to instead focus on random acts of kindness. I'm not sure I can get up to 100 in the next few months, but it will be an inspirational goal.

For my first day, here's what I did:


  • My lovely neighbor was unable to walk her dog yesterday (she is elderly, and occasionally struggles with balance), so M & I were able to take her dog for a long walk in the evening. We all enjoyed ourselves.  
  • Reached out to a friend who is new to her role at work & has struggled in the past with some health issues in her family. She so appreciated the check in, and we had a great chat. 


I'll post as I remember about the random acts of kindness, but would love to be inspired by all of you. Please share anything you are doing on your side (regardless of motivation). I think we could all use more kindness in our lives.

Happy Tuesday!

23 comments:

  1. I think this is an excellent idea! I need to copy it but am wondering how I can intentionally commit acts of kindness in this remote site of life I am living. I will just have to figure it out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awesome! We can all inspire each other with our ideas. :-)

      Delete
  2. Kindness...spread that shit everywhere! ;-)
    Remember to be kind to yourselves too...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Doing my best. What a time we live in! It's so easy to get caught up in everything right now.

      Delete
  3. A great reminder to do better, Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely! Happy to share what I'm working on, and please do the same. I love hearing about how others help each other. It's always really motivating.

      Delete
  4. I love this idea-it would be a nice blog communiyt partnerhsip for us each to share our acts of kindness in our posts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes - love it!! Please share so we can leverage ideas from each other.

      Delete
  5. Oh, I love this idea. I don't like to pat myself on the back, but did do something this summer to help out a group of children that needed help. I like this idea. We could also share random acts of kindness we hear about others doing too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Way to go, Belinda! That is awesome that you were able to help kids this summer. You deserve a pat on the back & a virtual hug.

      Yes, please share. I'm loving the inspiration right now.

      Delete
  6. thats a great idea & such a positive way to deal with the world right now

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Please share if you have any ideas you're doing & hearing about, so we can come up with creative, COVID friendly options.

      Delete
  7. I know this doesn't sound like much but this summer I have been visiting with my neighbor kids aged 7 and 5 through the fence at social distancing. Whenever I see them out I say hello and listen if they want to tell me about their day. It is good medicine for them and me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh that's so lovely. I know our LO would love to have someone not-us to chat up safely.

      Delete
    2. Totally agree - this is awesome! And, sometimes the small things make all of the difference. Getting to know my neighbors has been one of the biggest positives for me during COVID. It feels more like a community.

      Delete
  8. We went to a parking lot and gave away meat, like lamb, that had been given to use to a person who was walking to grocery shop. We get a box of vegetables at a food giveaway each week and get one for the neighbor, too. He was out of work for three months and tells us how this helps him out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So very nice to be able to help others when they are struggling. Awesome!

      Delete
  9. I get squirmy when I refer to my actions as kindness because I don't see them that way but I do try to commits intentional acts of caring and positivity.
    I sent a friend a special dog leash for their new adopted four legged family member.
    I sent a "just because I love you" card to a dear friend.
    JB and I created "it's ok to rest and we love you" cards for another friend.
    I've got a condolence card for yet another friend on my desk awaiting a final touch.

    I've been thinking about who else might welcome a nice card in the mail.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really like the card idea. I'm going to give that a try.

      Delete
  10. I love that you are doing this. I will be watching. We should all practice this as much as we can.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Like Revanche above, I am uncomfortable sharing what I view as acts of compassions (I feel they should be kept private so as to avoid appearing to need validation from others) HOWEVER, I do understand that sharing them here is intended to encourage more of the same, so I will bravely join in!

    I have a friend undergoing chemo so I've been dropping off small bouquets of smile-inducing flowers (i.e., sunflowers, gerber daisies) at her doorstep.

    I have been the recipient of a good amount of wonderful summer produce from neighbors, and have made a point to share exactly how I'm enjoying them, including photos, when I send them my thank you. In addition, I will now offer to drop off fresh herbs, of which I have lots in my garden, so thank you HP!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are absolutely correct. Hopefully these things are/become a habit, and don't require a "good work", or else it sort of defeats the purpose. That said, exactly as you describe - it's inspiring to read them, and definitely helps motivate & encourage me.

      Thanks for sharing. What a thoughtful thing to do to remember a friend going through a hard time. I'm sure it does bring her plenty of smiles.

      Love that your neighbors share produce. It's such a win to grow things, & then distribute what you can't use. I hate the feeling of waste, and seeing other people put things into use is awesome. Others are also much more creative than me with recipes, so I'm sure your neighbors enjoy your photos.

      Delete