March of Kindness: The First Ten Days
I have spent the first ten days of March mindfully planning and looking out for random acts of kindness that I can do for people I know as well as for strangers. What I have found is that large or small, any kind act creates a ripple effect that is discernible almost immediately. Smiling at a store clerk brings a smile back and perhaps a “thanks for brightening my day;” disposing of trash we see when we’re walking around has made my kids very aware of how it is each our job to care for the earth-even when we didn’t make the mess.
These are my favorite random acts of kindness for the first ten days and why:
A dear friend just moved to Australia and mentioned that they would be car-less for their last week here. Without even pausing to think, I asked if she would like to borrow the car we are about to sell. It was a good thing my husband was willing to support my spur of the moment offer (he’s gotten used to my whims, by now). It felt so good knowing that she and her children were able to get in a last few days of sight-seeing and saying goodbye friends.
I have been putting away props for other people in my yoga classes, after asking if it is alright with them, of course. Almost without exception the person then did the same for someone else and so on. It was amazing to see the kindness ripple effect happen immediately.
And my favorite random act of kindness was to my children. Instead of hustling us into the car to our next errand like I usually do, we splashed in the puddles. Not once did I look at my watch or try to move them along. We laughed together, got wet and muddy and I stayed in the moment with them.
Feeling inspired to take part in A March of Kindness?
Please visit CodeName: Mama for more information
Need some ideas for Random Acts of Kindness? Here are 155 Ideas for Random Acts of Kindness
Have you done a RAOK recently that you enjoyed? Did you notice a ripple effect?
March 12 UPDATE: Here is the review of all the first 10 days of MOK at Code Name: Mama. Please go check out the linked participants and give them some comment love
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While the other two acts of kindness are great, my favorite is the puddle-jumping. It’s those little things will stay in your children’s memories forever. And one day, when they’re hurrying their children off to an errand, they might just stop and jump in a puddle with their little ones. Your single act of kindness might ripple through generations!
They had a ton of fun. I half wish I’d had my camera to capture the fun, but if I had, I wouldn’t have been as present.
Love this reminder to live joyfully and in the moment!
Absolutely! I’m so glad Code Name: Mama came up with this to inspire us all to take this adventure in kindness
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Please be gentle readers. I wrote this in under 15 minutes and haven’t had a chance to proofread it yet
Still haven’t proofed and now I’m scared to look at the condition it is in since it’s been getting read
Tomorrow is another day….
The ripple effect you talk about reminds me of my friend Maggie’s post about her recent travels in Addis Ababa: http://www.girlventures.net/archives/3514
I try to do little random acts to lift my spirits (recent ones include holding the door for someone, bringing food to people when they’re ill or just had a baby, inviting our sitter to stay for dinner, and taking a rogue grocery cart back to the cart corral (although there was an econ prof back in college who would say that’s hurting the economy and that by leaving the cart out, I would have been creating jobs)). I don’t know that I’ve noticed the ripple effect recently, but it might just be because I’ve not been looking for it. I’ll keep an eye out for contagious kindnesses now.
I take that back…I think the random acts help my children to be more generous and to look for ways they can help others. My 5yo daughter offered to let her friend ride her Skuut on a walk to the library last week, and my 19mo son brings toys to children when we’re out (of course, he’s just as likely to hit the child with the toy, but I like to think it starts with kindness).
C, thank you for commenting. I agree with you that they can lift your spirits. I think they get the focus of you and outward. I get down when I stay in my head to long (and that goes for when I don’t have PPD) Staying in the present and relaxing. Modeling really is the strongest influence on children, I think. How many times have you heard your words come out of their mouths (sometimes embarrassingly so) or seen them react to something just like you or your partner. How awesome to think they’ve observed your kindness and its impression upon their minds!
And I just added your friends blog to my google reader. Good stuff!
These are wonderful, thank you so much for sharing them
My hubby is used to my whims too – a friend recently separated from her husband, and she was worried about where to go with her daughter. I offered our spare room for as long as she needed it – and THEN I asked Tom. He said of course! It’s so nice to have partners who have soft hearts too
Thank you, Dionna. I appreciate the opportunity to participate this month. It has been truly special. Next 10 days, I look forward to having more time to write about my experiences this month
Oh, and I’m about to do another one: comment the blogs of everyone else who is participating in MOK