In 1995, Random Acts of Kindness Day was established in Denver Colorado on February 17th and has grown exponentially since. Here’s my little story involving one of my sons having a random act of kindness idea? A few weeks ago, my two sons and I were on a bike ride and we decided to make an impromptu visit to my mother’s house. When we pulled up in the back yard, we realized she wasn’t home from work yet so we decided to just sit on her deck and hang out until she got home. I’m on my phone working on my website, one is sitting beside me playing on his phone and the other is leaning on the railing, just sort of hanging out. He suddenly says to me, with a sense of concern in his voice, “Dad, their water hose is on, making a puddle. Do you think they realize it’s on? I know they’re old; do you think I should go over there and see if they left it on by accident so it doesn’t run up their water bill?”
A little back-story to help paint the scene. So, I grew up in this house my whole life and my mother still lives there. My boys have been over there obviously here and there growing up but not enough to know the neighbors at all. These neighbors happen to be in their 90’s and he is at least aware of that fact. So you see, it wasn’t really out of a concern that came from him knowing them very well; he is aware of who they are but knows no details about them. They are practically strangers to him. Without any coaxing from me, he proceeded to walk over to their house and let them know. They were sitting on their patio and had no idea. They were so thankful that he had done that because if he hadn’t, then it probably would’ve been on for possibly days. I was so proud of him that it inspired me to write this post.
Considering the current state that our young people are in, being completely connected to their devices and unavailable most of the time for us to even witness how they interact with others (my children included), I feel that if a 15-year-old can express such empathy for strangers, then we as adults have no excuse at all. We’re the ones that are supposed to be setting the precedent for upcoming generations. We have a great responsibility to be an example for them to follow. We should be on the front lines as examples of true empathy for others, even strangers.
Even though I genuinely believe that life is beautiful and I couldn’t be a happier person, I’m certainly not ignorant of the fact that life can also be very hard for all of us. Just think of all of the people in this world that deal with poverty, chronic illnesses, depression, feelings of suicide, losing loved ones. Now, think about and concentrate on how little we actually know about the private lives of strangers, and even at times, our closest friends. Now that you have that in your thoughts, just imagine how much even the slightest act of kindness or expression of empathy can severely affect someone’s mood, or even change their whole day. Just think about this… what if you were going about your day and just happened to do something nice for someone, some random person that you don’t even know. However, unbeknownst to you, that person was actually contemplating taking his or her own life earlier that day or that evening? Think of the power that a simple act of empathy could have on a person in that state. And that’s just one scenario. There are endless possibilities of what could be going on in any of our lives at any given moment. Never underestimate how great of an effect we can have on others; there are not many things that are as strong and as genuine as human touch, human interaction. This is something for us all to keep in mind every day we get to wake up and enjoy another day.
That being said, here is a list of 9 random acts of kindness ideas that could make someone’s day…or possibly bring more happiness to them than we may be able to understand. And who knows, maybe it will even be contagious enough to encourage them to be the same way to others.
1) Aid the Elderly or Handicapped.
As we get older, how often do all of us find ourselves complaining a little bit more than we did yesterday about getting old? Getting frustrated because we discover something that’s just a little bit harder than it used to be? Now try to imagine what it is going to be like when you’re in your 70’s, 80’s…90’s! The next time you’re at the grocery store and you witness an elderly person struggling to simply get in or out of the car, or even load their heavy groceries into their car, why not take a minute of your time and help them. Do you happen to have elderly or handicapped neighbors? Offer to mow their lawn for them, or even to pick up sticks in their yard. These are all great ideas and wonderful to do, but one of the greatest things we can do for an elderly person is giving them our time. Sit and talk with them; let them talk to us, tell stories. You will be pleasantly delighted to hear about their world before you were even around.
2) Help the Homeless.
So many of us have heard the stories, or even had the opportunity to experience it firsthand. It’s a hard thing to judge, whether or not to help the homeless person. Are they really homeless or are they just trying to get money for drugs or alcohol? It can be hard for some to imagine how a person could descend to that level, pretending to be so poor that they didn’t even have a home or food to eat, just so they could get a fix. Unfortunately, it does indeed happen and is very hard to judge sometimes. However, there are ways to get around it with no risk at all of contributing to someone’s hidden agenda. Just think of how cold it can be outside during the winter. I can remember a few days over the last five years that it reached levels well below 0° with the wind-chill, sometimes reaching -30° or worse at times. Can you just imagine being homeless during that? Having to be outside with nowhere to go to shelter you from that? Donate your old winter coats, hats and gloves to either a homeless shelter or you can even give them directly to the person if you should choose to.
Feeding the homeless is also another option. Get the whole family together and volunteer in a local soup kitchen. Or, you can choose to take things in your own hands and feed people directly. Alternatively, if you live in a more rural area where homelessness isn’t as evident, why not cook a meal for a family that may be severely struggling financially?
I remember years ago our family was all together driving to Texas Roadhouse to eat dinner. On the way there we were stopped at a light and there was a sad-looking man standing there holding up a sign asking for help because he was homeless. The boys struck up a conversation with us about thinking of how we could help him. We proceeded to the restaurant and ate dinner. Towards the end of the meal, both boys had plenty of food left on their plates and asked if they could box it up and see if that guy was still standing there. I was, of course, beaming with pride as a parent. They took the initiative and asked the waitress for boxes so they could feed the homeless person. The waitress was also very moved by the act. We packed the food up and left, heading back the way we came. Sure enough, the man was still standing at the same stop light. This time though, since we were going the opposite direction, he was on the other side of the road. We made our way over to the man, pulled up next to him and I rolled down my window to greet him. I gave him the food and told him my sons felt bad for him and wanted him to have it. The boys also decided to write little messages on the box, telling the man to stay strong and happy, and that they hope things got better for him. I couldn’t have been prouder as a parent. And just think what that may have done for that man’s attitude towards his life.
3) Pay For the Person in Line Behind You.
In my unique small town where I write this blog, we have the coolest little coffee shop. Their coffee is my minor addiction and I’m somewhat of a regular. I was there on a Friday morning waiting in line to get my glorious Scottish Grogg. I get up to the counter and Jess goes to ring me out and says, “your coffee is free of charge; the last customer that was here paid for it.” I asked for details and she informed me that there is a sort of “pay it forward” thing that they do between customers to encourage kindness. I couldn’t believe it! It was just a small $2 gesture but I still thought that was just the nicest thing. So, the next time you get a coffee or pick up your fast food at the drive-thru window, just think of how much it would mean to the person that is behind you that their meal was already paid for.
4) Place Random Gifts for Strangers to Find.
When I asked one of my closest friends, Rob, what came to mind when I asked him to think of small random acts of kindness, he told me of something that his wife does sometimes. Apparently, Kristy will go to the dollar store and buy a bunch of those plastic eggs that are in two pieces, writes inspirational sayings on a little piece of paper and place the note and a quarter inside, and randomly place them all over when she is out running errands. What a wonderfully inventive and kind thing to do Kristy! Just think how that could affect a child that finds one of those eggs. Children are so impressionable and an experience like that could have an enduring result that will stay with them forever, helping to shape how they view kindness and empathy towards strangers.
5) Hold Doors for People and Smile.
There are a few basic things people used to do naturally for others without even thinking about it but have seem to been somewhat forgotten. One of those things is holding doors for people. So often when we’re going in or out of a door in public, there is usually someone right behind us. Does anyone disagree with me that it is a horrible feeling to have a door shut right in our face? Please don’t be the person that lets this happen. Sacrifice just 5 seconds out of your life to perform this simple kind gesture.
Another insanely simple, but powerful one is to just smile at people. It is so easy to do and has such a positive effect on both us and the person that we’re smiling at. Please refrain from the awkward smile that may make the person wonder what the hell is wrong with you. Just a simple, happy “good day” smile.
6) Write a “Thank You” Letter to Soldiers.
Stop and think of what our soldiers give up for us. It can be almost unfathomable at times. Our neighbor has been away for almost one whole year now. They have five children that he hasn’t seen in a year. Can you just imagine losing your mate for an entire year? All of this to ensure that all of us can go to bed every night feeling safe. Is it too much to ask for us to write a short letter to them, letting them know how much we care about them and how thankful we are for everything that they sacrifice?
7) Give up Your Seat to Someone Else.
Do you have a commute every day where you use public transportation? Have you sat waiting on your prescription drugs at the pharmacy recently? Have you been to the doctor’s office lately, in the lobby waiting for your appointment? If we are ever in the situation and there are not enough seats for everyone, are you really going to allow that frail sweet elderly woman to stand while you sit? Do the right thing!
8) Buy Someone Special a Gift Just Because.
There is no doubt that it is a wonderful feeling to get an ‘I love you’ card or flowers from the one you love on a special holiday. And, who doesn’t love to get that perfect gift on Christmas day from the one you love or from you’re relative or friend? Then, why wait for a holiday? Go to the store and buy your mate flowers for absolutely no reason. Have a friend that is just the greatest? Think of something that they love, and go buy it for them to thank them for being such a wonderful part of your life.
9) Leave Your Mail Person a Gift.
For a three-years, I was a federal employee with the United States Postal Service. I have always revered myself as an extremely hard worker. Back in the early nineties when I was right out of high school and before college, I spent some time working in a factory. The friends that I made back then are still some of my closest friends and some of them still work there. As far as they know, the production records that I set back then still stand untouched as record highs. I have much confidence in my physical abilities to do almost any laborious job exceptionally well. However, feelings of accomplishment were shattered when I was with the USPS. At the time that I was employed by them, there was extreme postal reform that completely changed the job from what it used to be when I was a kid. I now have a deep respect and admiration for any person that works that job and stays with it for any length of time, and so should you. Postal employees are without a doubt some of the hardest physical workers in the world. I can remember so many times when some of my customers would leave a nice note for me on their box, and especially around Christmas time would give me random gifts. It really did mean the world to me. I will never forget some of those days. One of the worst days of my life physically was in the wintertime. My route was and all walk route, no driving. The packages were heavy that day, the mail was very heavy that day, I had an extra to our pivot dropped on my end of my route which made it for a very long 12-hour day. Freezing rain just poured that entire day. My whole body was covered in ice, including my bare hands because it’s not very easy to wear gloves; your fingers are essential tools for that job. I will also never forget the day I was out in -45° wind-chill temperatures all day long on my walking route, with a postal van that had no heater and it.
Please remember your Postal worker and do things for them. Be kind to them. Do anything you can to make their job a little easier. Believe me, it will go so far with them.
Let’s Hear Your Ideas!
There is indeed a plethora of ideas to be found online regarding performing small acts of kindness to express our empathy towards others. These are just 9 ideas that I decided to highlight. You can also check out the absolutely beautiful site randomactsofkindness.org for even more kindness ideas and inspiring kindness quotes. We want to hear what’s on your mind. What things have happened to you that had a great effect on you? What things have you done for other people that were wonderful examples of true empathy and compassion? Please feel free to comment on this article with your feelings. Also, please share this article on all your social media and let’s spread the idea as much as we can to help all of us be better and kinder.
All solid ideas. And the huge point behind them is that you should do any or all of these, not because you could allegedly get a heavenly reward, but because they are just decent things to do. Be a good human, people. It’s not terribly hard, just do what you want done for you.
Great ideas here! There is a charity local to us that takes gently used furniture and gives it to people that have been homeless who are moving into housing. I feel this is a great way to give back, as opposed to selling items. If you can live without that $10 you’d get for an end table, I highly suggest giving it to a cause that does a lot of good – like this charity I’m speaking of in Tiffin. It’s called Faithful Furnishings, find them on Facebook 🙂