At the beginning of the year I made a goal to practice random acts of kindness all year long. (I even bought some wall art that I found on clearance at Menards with the “Practice Random Acts of Kindness” saying on it!) But I have pretty much failed.
Really, I hardly ever think of that goal. Which is kinda bad because it’s something I should be doing a lot more of.
But then I got to thinking, maybe I do practice random acts of kindness and I don’t realize it. I started thinking over my past week. And yes, I actually had achieved some goodness without even knowing it.
I had it all wrong. Random acts of kindness are not methodically planned out. They don’t have to be toward strangers (although that could be nice).
Random acts of kindness are just random.
Thinking back here’s what I did over the past week.
Gifted a BIG Batch Cookies
Both of my brothers are working with very low grocery budgets. And since the girls and I like to bake and decorate cookies we made a huge batch and gifted them to my nephew and brothers.
They were pretty happy.
It was a nice way to spread a little love around and was definitely appreciated.
I Watched the Neighbor’s Kid So She Could Go to the Mall
I got my neighbors daughter off the bus yesterday and watch her for two hours so that she could go to the mall.
This was actually a super easy thing to do since it gave the girls another playmate. All of the kids plus the momma appreciated it.
I Text My Dad and Told Him I Loved Him
As I was writing this post I got this urge to text my Dad and tell him I love him. This is something that I have NEVER before done.
It was totally random. But you know what? I thought it would brighten his day so I did it. Even if it was slightly awkward. 🙂
Then I got the urge to do the same for one of my brothers who is going through some rough stuff right now.
They’ll both probably make fun of me for being sappy (they’re tough guys) but I know deep down that each of them will really appreciate it.
Update: As I was getting ready to hit publish on this post this morning I heard a knock on the door. It was my Dad. He had liked my message and stopped over to take me and the girls to breakfast. Then a little bit later my brother texted me back a “lol thanks love you too” I really never expected anything back from either of them so it just felt nice!
Be Random
My goal earlier this year to methodically plan out random acts of kindness may have been a little too……constrained?
We can spread some good around without money and without big elaborate plans. And I’m pretty sure the more we do this the more natural it becomes.
Do something nice today and make someone’s day a little bit better. (If you get the urge to tell someone you love them, who you never tell, go ahead and do it!!)
What random acts of kindness have you done this week?
P.S. Since I’m being sappy today thought I’d share a new blog I found with you. Or, more specifically, this post that brought tears to my eyes. If you get a chance read a few posts on this blog – very inspiring.
Linked Up On Thrifty Thursday
I took homemade scones with jam and clotted cream into work on Monday just to make it a better start of the week for my colleagues – they definitely went down well 🙂 those cookies look awesome!
That’s awesome. A great way to make everyone’s beginning-of-the-week a little better.
And the cookies…..Ava thinks a cookie isn’t a cookie unless it has an inch of sprinkles on top. I had to hide some back so they didn’t turn into nothing but sugar sprinkles lol
I don’t tend to think of them as acts of kindness but I’ve been making a conscious effort to do a little something for others when I know they’re going through a hard time. It’s usually something simple that both entertains me and them like sending a note or a card. Sometimes chocolate if the conditions are right 🙂
I think sending notes and cards is a very nice thing to do. The girls and I made a card for a distant older relative last year and I can’t tell you how grateful he was. He was beaming when we saw us. I think it’s the little things like that that really make someone’s day. It’s nice when someone knows they’re being thought of.
I think it’d be a good idea to go ahead and buy a stack of cards so there are no excuses when it comes time to send one. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to send someone a card but kept putting off going to the store and then never ending up sending anything.
I ought to split our stash with you! It turns out that PiC had bags of cards he’d purchased and never given to people so I’ve put a moratorium on buying any new cards (much as I LOVE nice stationary) and am now going through and trying to use them up.
I love how you did random acts of kindness without planning or even realizing it until you looked back over your week. These are the ones I remember this week: My son just moved to his first new place and I cleaned his kitchen, put in shelf liner, and got everything organized for him. I also bought a week’s worth of groceries for him. Today, I helped my neighbor’s family sort through the belongings he left behind when he passed away several months ago.
Thanks for the link to the site. I added it to my Feedly.
That was so good of you to help your neighbor’s family. I’m sure that must’ve been really hard for them. I love it. It brings tears to my eyes.
And I’m sure your son appreciated the cleaning and groceries too. I hope he’s having a smooth transition.
This is something that I’ve been trying more and more to do. It feels great and it’s nice to know that I’m possibly brightening someone’s day as well. Love this post!
Yeah it’s such a good feeling. I’ve been in such a good mood today and I think it’s all because I started my day trying to show someone else some appreciation!
I am on the bus as I comment on this post. A guy had just sat down and then more people got on the bus. The thing is the bus is now full and it’s standing room only. Did I mention that our ride will be an hour? So, he gave up his seat so this lady could sit down. I love when people treat one another with kindness and compassion without expecting anything in return.
That’s very very nice. To be honest I probably would’ve kept my seat. That’s bad to say but it’s the truth. I agree it’s very nice to see someone do something for a complete a stranger. I think that’s something I need to work on.
I left a message for my parents telling them that I loved them once. They called back right away to make sure I was ok!
LOL I had to laugh because I was just thinking maybe my Dad stopped over this morning thinking there was something wrong with me. He probably thought I was having a nervous breakdown…lol But at the same time I know that it made him happy.
I love this theme as it has been on my mind lately. Last week I went through Wendy’s to pick up a bite (I know…yuck…but oh well!). Before I got there I decided I would pick up the tab for whoever was behind me in the drive through. When I first got there there wasn’t a soul around. Hmmm. But by the time I to pay at the window, a car pulled up to the ordering thing. I paid for their meal and left without a word.
They were driving a nice car and I first thought…they don’t need the help. But then I realized that we all can use something to brighten our day from time-to-time. Who knows what happened to that person that day, week or whatever. Maybe they’re away from home, like me, care taking a parent with a terminal illness.
I felt really good about doing that small act and have resolved to do more. Great post, Alexa!
I like Wendy’s!! Paying for someone else’s food is something I’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet.
And you’re right – just because someone was driving a nice car didn’t mean it didn’t brighten their day. And who knows, maybe they’ll get the urge to pay it forward! You might’ve started a chain reaction 🙂
It’s great to see you post a topic like this! I am very hard on myself and tend to focus on my negatives and not my positives.
I live in an urban area where the homeless/druggie population seems to be constantly growing. I keep an eye out on some “regulars” in my ‘hood that have graduated from a rehab program and are working on bettering their lives and contributing to society, and in return have been given a lot of support from my neighborhood. A couple of these folks own dogs and I am pretty sure these dogs have helped changed their lives for the better. This week I grabbed some dog treats from my grocery store and handed them out. It was a wonderful moment for me, these individuals and for the dogs. I plan on doing this on a regular basis!
That’s another great idea. I love how everything everyone’s listed has been so different but so nice. It just goes to show there are a million ways to make someone else’s day a little bit better. And I’m sure your generosity was great appreciated!
Hi there – I’m Kimber, and I write at LetsDoSomeGoodToday.com. I logged into my website this morning and was pleasantly surprised to have had more visitors than normal – and many of them came from your site. I came over and found your link. I am so touched! Thank you so much for sharing my story. I really and truly appreciate it! And I loved your post about acts of kindness. I have had a similar mindset this year, which is part of why I started a website. Every Thursday, I share a service challenge. I try to keep them small and manageable. Some weeks are bigger than others, but the accountability is great for me – every Thursday, I’m sharing a new service challenge, which means at least once a week, my family is serving. It has been a huge blessing for me! As I’ve focused on serving others these past few months, my own trials have been much easier to bear. Anyway, thanks so much for the link, and I look forward to reading more of your stories in the future!
I’m glad I could send you a little traffic 🙂 I found your blog the other day after clicking through on a comment you made on Money Saving Mom. I was hooked. I probably spent an hour reading through your posts, several times with tears in my eyes. After reading your blog I had this huge desire to start giving back more.
You’re a huge inspiration and I’ll be a long time follower of your blog.
I love that you found me through Money Saving Mom – she is kind of my hero. 🙂 It really means so much to hear what you shared. I’m sure you understand – to someone who is just starting out, you kind of wonder if what you’re writing will ever make any kind of a difference. You have made my day. Thanks again – and I’m looking forward to reading what you write in the future!
Great post, and I like how you reached out to family and said those things. Sometimes the apprehension about saying/doing something is worse than the actual event itself.
What did I do? Well, I helped out a family member who is facing major health issues with some hugs and kindness, and let someone else who’s dealing some things talk things through for a while. I also had someone do an act of kindness for me, which was really refreshing and very appreciated.
I think letting people talk and just being able to listen without criticizing or dishing out unsolicited advice is one of the best things you can do! I need to work on just listening to people instead of always trying to help.
I found this great post from the Frugal Friday Link Up Party! Random acts are kindness are far and few between now days! I love all the kindness you have shared this week. Those cookies look delish!
Thanks so much!