On the Receiving End

   

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wbeem/6854174252/">wbeem</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>

      Earlier this week I was feeling on the glum side. Chalk it up to a trip to DC and being faced with throngs of rude, oblivious, tourists (Yeah, I don't do well with crowds), listening to several horror stories about malicious behavior, and watching part of the most recent Hunger Games movies. I was convinced that everyone on the planet was completely self absorbed. This is not my normal state of mind. I am totally a glass half full kinda gal, and it bothered me. Thankfully the very next day, I was on the receiving end of several acts of kindness from random strangers, a free admission to the indoor playground, a fellow mom who gave my son her Frosty card at Wendy's when they were out of the boy kid's meal toys, and an awesome waitress who made my family's fine dining experience truly special. I like to believe that what happened was an answer to prayer. My prayer to restore my hope for the world. Whether it was or not, it did the trick. So for all of you doing acts of kindness who wonder if they make a difference I will tell you they do! If each small acts in some way can restore someone else's hope it's worth every bit.

R.A.K. week

     Most of us living on the East coast have only been hearing about one thing this week, the looming snow storm. Everyone has been attempting to predict how many inches we're going to get hit with and wondering if we'll lose power. Valentine's day almost seems like an afterthought in comparison. But did you know that it's also Random Acts of Kindness Week? And what better timing? There are always people who could use a little kindness around St. Valentine's Day and I'm sure the impending storm will present plenty of opportunity to shovel an elderly neighbor's walk or clean off someone's car. Hopefully there won't be power outages, but if there are that's another chance to kindly offer to help someone. I remember when the other side of our street lost power for days one summer and there were extension cords traveling from one side of the street to the other, neighbor helping neighbor. I would never wish for a disaster but if we get slammed by Pax, a highly ironic name for a storm I might add, then why not view it as an occasion to spread a little kindness and offer a helping hand to those you see in need. If there is anything good about a catastrophe it's that it brings out the best in people. There are always stories of how someone rose to the occasion to come to another's aide. So be on the be on the look out. You may just make someone's day.

Photo Credit:
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