Archive for February 2014
My daughter came to me yesterday morning asking if we could donate some puzzles to church, explaining that the children’s nursery only had one puzzle that our son completed week after week. (If you know our children, you know both boys LOVE putting jigsaw puzzles together.)
It was a really easy RAK to complete; I walked into my son’s room and started pulling unused puzzles off the shelf. I think the most difficult part of the process was choosing WHICH puzzles to donate because we had so many (we finally agreed to make two separate bags – one with 24 piece puzzles for the younger kids and another with 100 piece puzzles for the older kids). We made sure the boxes were sturdy and all puzzle pieces accounted for, then sent them on their way!
May this inspire you today to look through your kids’ closets or playrooms and gather a few items for someone who may benefit from a “new-to-me” toy – check with local daycare centers, churches, even your local gyms, dentists and doctor offices might appreciate your generosity. You never know what will put a smile on someone’s face!
Be blessed!
Did you know this week is Random Act of Kindness Week? It’s true! A whole week dedicated to being kind to those around us – what joy!
The best part about doing RAKs is that they don’t have to cost money or even be that “amazing” of tasks. Here are a few RAKs I did on Monday:
- Held the door open for a student whose hands were full of books
- Complimented a coworker
- Allowed someone to use the faculty restroom before me (don’t laugh – when you are a teacher and can only leave your classroom during designated times of the day – this RAK is HUGE!)
- Drove past the closest parking space in the parking lot so someone else could be blessed by a shorter walk
- Smiled and greeted coworkers as I passed them on the sidewalk
- Sent messages on FB to friends letting them know I was thinking about them
- Shared my homemade chex mix with a coworker
- Stopped what was on my “to-do” list to help coworkers right when they needed help
See? Random acts of kindness can be easy! (Granted, some easier than others, lol.) Many times we find ourselves overwhelmed or in a rut when we think we have to do something over-the-top amazing to make a difference in the lives of others. Let me reassure you that EVERY act of kindness is important and has the potential to be life changing! Seriously!
Today I performed two specific RAKs. First, I brought chocolate to share at the professional development training I was leading after school. (Chocolate ALWAYS makes people feel good, right?)
Second, I bagged my own groceries at Kroger and took them out to my car in the freezing cold to save the bagger an extra trip outside.
See? Easy. Nothing to it!
I would love to know what you are doing to celebrate Random Act of Kindness Week! Share your experiences through Twitter, Instagram, FB or right here on my WordPress blog… just add the hashtag #RAKweek to your post so we can inspire each other!
Be blessed, dear friends, and RAK on! 🙂
celebrate kindness 