Posts Tagged ‘free’
Free RAK!
Posted March 18, 2016
on:Everyone loves freebies! For Day 5 of our 7-Day Blogging Challenge, we were encouraged to give away something for free. How fun!
Here is the prize I am offering: a Random Act of Kindness (RAK) to be done in your name complete with a blog post mentioning you and your website or blog (if you have one). I will also customize the random act of kindness to reflect your interests (animals, children, cooking, etc.).
Wow! How many people will offer that just for YOU?
How to enter the raffle? Simply comment on this blog post. I will put all the names in a bucket and draw the winner later today!
The contest starts NOW! It’s a pay-it-forward RAK that pays-it-forward again, a simple way to say “Thanks” for being a faithful reader and sharing in the joy of kindness!
Love Letters to Ketchikan
Posted February 14, 2016
on:When was the last time you received a love letter?
No, not a text message. Not a Valentine’s Day card. An actual love letter. Handwritten. Folded. Filled with words of endearment and appreciation for YOU. Can you remember such a time?
Last summer while on vacation, I was waiting in the wee hours of the morning to see the sun peek across the horizon of the Pacific Ocean. The morning was cold and wet, the Alaskan breeze blowing across my blanket-covered lap as I sat in a beach chair on the top deck of a cruise ship, listening to the ocean waves rise and fall.
The sun’s rays started to shimmer across the midnight blue water and I caught myself holding my breath with anticipation. Slowly the sky brightened, the mountains illuminated against the cloud-covered sky. Each moment was more spectacular than the one before and my heart overflowed with one simple word:
Love.
I was struck by an insatiable need to share this feeling with someone, right in this moment. I recalled a novel I had read by Hannah Brencher which described her journey in sharing joy with strangers through letters. Love letters. Yes, I know it sounds romantically saccharine and a bit bizarre, to share such sweetness with a stranger, but in that moment, it felt right. I waited for the sun to finish illuminating the sky, then quietly returned to my stateroom, grabbing paper and pen.
I walked around the ship, searching for a place of solitude which was rather easy to find so early in the morning. As soon as my pen touched the paper, the ink flowed from beginning to end, shaping a letter of love for a stranger I had never met.
I wrote two letters, my ultra-fine Sharpie capturing my sentiments with indelible ink. Thoughts of kindness. Hope. Joy. But most importantly, love.
“For you,
While it may seem a bit odd that a perfect stranger is taking time out of their day to write you a love letter, please know that this no accident. For whatever reason, this letter was meant for YOU. Right here, right now, and with perfect timing.
You see, there is a very important message you need to hear. You, my friend, are loved.
Yes. It’s that simple. You are loved. You are important. Your life has purpose and you are meant to move mountains just by being YOU.
I know this life had hardships. Boy, do I ever. But I’m here to tell you that no amount of rain or darkness can dim the beauty and brightness of your spirit.
You. Are Worthy.
There will be mountains along your journey, and the sheer height and scope will make you want to turn completely around, go another way. This letter is to bind you. Grab you. Pull you to the base and lift you up and over that insurmountable hurdle. There may be sweat. There may be tears. But in the end, you will look back and see it was more than a rolling hill, a piece of a perfect landscape that now showcases part of your spirit.
With love and joy,
A girl from Virginia.”
“For you,
I’m writing this letter today because you are wonderful. Yes – YOU. For whatever reason, I felt that you needed to be reminded of all the specialness wrapped inside of you. Oh, the beauty that shines from your spirit! If you could only see the depth and breadth of joy and kindness that encompass your every being and how that touches those around you!
Maybe you are looking around, searching for a hidden camera, convinced this is a joke, a ploy, a hidden card trick at a small venue magic show. Rest assured, this letter was meant for you. Your life has such grand purpose, which may seem impossible to believe, but it is true.
You. Are. Special.
And… you are loved.
Yes, I know some days you may not feel worthy or deserving of such enormous proclamations, but life is like that. The waves rise, then crash, then pull back and start again. But even in the midst of that repetition, there will be a ray of light from a sunrise that will change the landscape into a radiant sea of sparkle and everything is transformed into beauty and hope and all things good. You, dear friend, are that light. Now go out and shine!
With love and joy,
A girl from Virginia”
Later that morning, we docked in Ketchikan, Alaska a city that receives more than 160 inches of rainfall a year. True to form, a light drizzle of rain coated the streets as we made our way into town. Suddenly the dark clouds shifted, replaced by the warmth of the sun I had greeted mere hours before.
We walked from shop to shop, learning about the culture of this salmon canning town, and I waited patiently, two folded pieces of paper hidden in the pocket of my rain jacket. Who would receive my letters of love?
I saw a stack of t-shirts in an open bin and felt the nudge to leave one there, hidden in the folds of cotton, so I did.
As we walked deeper into the town, I saw a quaint table and chairs outside of a sandwich shop and knew my second letter belonged there.
We were only in Ketchikan for a few hours, long enough to walk around town, buy a few souvenirs, and sprinkle some love on the other side of the world. I may never know who read my my letters, but I know that my words were meant for them.
And maybe my words are meant for you as well.
You. Are. Loved.
Immensely.
Be blessed, my dear friends, and share this story with someone who may also need to feel a little love today!
Good Cheer
Posted November 13, 2015
on:This afternoon I decided to leave school at a decent time (something about being the last car in the parking lot twice this week, walking alone in the dark, makes me remember how much I dislike the time change!) I still had work to do, so I thought it would be a nice change to visit a local Starbucks and continue my tasks with a warm Skinny Peppermint Mocha by my side.
The coffee shop was brimming with people; most seats were taken, but I was lucky enough to snag a comfy armchair by the window (and an outlet!) Two of my co-workers called out to me and after a few moments of chit-chat, I claimed my chair of choice and got in line to purchase my drink.
That’s when I saw the sign.
Buy one, get one free! Awesome! I turned to the person beside me and smiled. “Are you getting a holiday drink today?” I asked. She returned my smile and replied, “Oh yes!” My smile grew as I pointed to the sign behind the barista. “I’m going to buy your drink today – you can have my free one!” The woman was surprised at my gesture, offering to pay half, but I just laughed in the joy of the moment. “No, no, this is a random act of kindness for YOU! Please don’t pay for a thing!” We ordered our drinks and I gave her my business card so she could read about her RAK later. She asked me if I was a teacher and when I nodded yes, she said, “Everything about you seems like a teacher!” I was humbled by her compliment, reminded again of the joy I have in my career.
She didn’t want her photo taken, so I captured one of our cups – two strangers enjoying a shared moment of glee.
You know what’s really awesome about today’s RAK? Neither one of us cared what color cup our coffee was served in, nor did we engage in a theological debate about symbolism or religion. It was just one person doing something nice for someone else with a promise to “pay it forward for the next person.”
Isn’t that what it’s all about? 🙂
As we enter the holiday season, transitioning from carved pumpkins to carved turkey, I encourage you to look for opportunities to show kindness to others in unexpected ways. It doesn’t take much to brighten a stranger’s day!
Be blessed and as always, thanks for reading! More blog posts to come soon – I have so many stories to share!
Donut Delight
Posted January 26, 2015
on:One of the things I love about living near Richmond is that we are close to a REAL Krispy Kreme donut shop. Our shop makes the donuts from start to finish in plain view of the customer, with only a glass wall separating you and the production line.
If you’ve never had an original glazed Krispy Kreme donut right off the conveyor belt, dripping from a heated waterfall of icing, you are missing out! You always know when the donuts are “hot off the press” because Krispy Kreme will light their Hot sign whether day or night.
I received a coupon from a friend for a FREE original glazed donut and I couldn’t wait to pay it forward to bless someone else! So I drove down to the shop and left my surprise where it couldn’t be missed – right on the glass window.
It wasn’t much, didn’t cost me a dime, but boy did it make me happy! I wonder who got the free donut today? A mom suprising her kids for breakfast? Perhaps a grandparent spoiling their grandchild? Maybe even a businessman, swayed by the neon sign shining through his car window. Who knows. I just hope whoever used the coupon felt blessed by this random act of kindness and maybe it brightened their day!
Keep on keeping on, my dear friends! Kindness matters! 🙂
A Week’s Worth of Kindness
Posted September 6, 2014
on:The transition between summer break and the start of school has come and gone and I am finally catching my breath to blog. WOW – what an amazing time it has been! It’s always so inspiring for me when I see kindness in others – I often wish I could screen capture my moments and post instantaneously to share the joy! Here are a few excerpts of the kindness that has been shared around me the past two weeks:
At our very first faculty meeting of the school year, I was presented with the WOW book. This is a new journal we are passing around to co-workers in our school who inspire us in a variety of ways. We write an entry inside the book about why we think that person is special, then we pay it forward to that person so that they can recognize the next WOW member of our school. There is even a special page inside the front cover dedicated to Renee Parr, the first grade teacher who passed away this summer.
When I was called to receive the book, I was humbled beyond words – one of the few times I could barely speak! Even writing this I am awed that someone would find me worthy of this honor. WOW indeed!
One of the highlights of Teacher Work Week is the freedom to choose our own lunch time and eat wherever we want. (No cafeteria food, no frozen lunches for the microwave!) I was delighted to find a coupon for a FREE grilled chicken sandwich – thank you Chick-fil-A for remembering teachers and sharing in kindness!
As I approached the local restaurant, I could tell lots of other teachers were enjoying their free sandwiches, too, because the drive-thru line was wrapped around the lot! I decided to park my car and go inside to place my order. I entered the double doors and saw the line was just as long inside the building. Suddenly the person in front of me turned around and said, “Would you like to go in front of us? We’re still waiting for our friends.” How kind! Within moments I was facing the cashier, placing my order.
Now this alone would be a wonderful RAK, but it gets EVEN better! As I’m standing there contemplating fries vs. salad, I hear a voice over my shoulder saying, “I’m buying her lunch.” I turn around and there is our school’s P.E. teacher, Barry, standing behind me. “What?” I question, still trying to process the fact that I’m getting RAK’d back. “Your lunch. I’m buying it.” I started to protest, and he looked me square in the eyes, using my own words against me: “Don’t deny my the joy in doing a Random Act of Kindness…” All I could do was give him a hug and say thank you, humbled once again.
Then I paid it forward by purchasing a cookie for another teacher in my school (which I placed on her lunchbox when she left her classroom, totally forgetting to take a picture!)
I came to work one day and found this adorable sticky-note pad on my desk, in the shape of an iPhone, with a cute note on top saying, “iHope you have a great year!” I sent an email to my faculty thanking whomever left the surprise, but the RAK giver still remains a mystery. Hopefully they will read this blog and know how much I loved this gift – oh, how it brightened my morning! (And little do they know, but I adore school supplies! The results of being a teacher!)
Following this RAK, I paid it forward by blessing my son’s teacher with an item off her classroom wish list:
At my first team meeting of the school year, this cute little guy below was introduced as the “Hedgehog of Happiness”. One of my teammates said, “Give this to Tamara – it needs to be on her desk!” Oh my gosh, what fun! He made me smile all day! I wish everyone had a “Hedgehog of Happiness” to remind them of the joy found in simple things.
I paid it forward by sending surprises to my children’s teachers and writing a note in my son’s lunchbox.
During the first week of school, I received two RAKs – one was a sweet gift from a kindergartner whose mom used to teach across from me when I was a classroom teacher at another school. Pumpkin Cheesecake handsoap – oh my graciousness, what a wonderful scent! It reminds me of fall and cooler weather. Hand washing is VERY important in our line of work, so now I can stay germ-free while pampering myself a bit at the same time.
The other gift I received was a personalized clipboard from our school’s PTA. How thoughtful! Even though I’m a technologist, I still carry a clipboard in my laptop bag which holds important documents, sign-in sheets, and my to-do list. Now I have a fancy clipboard to replace the boring brown one I’ve been using for years!
As my first week back to school round the corner towards the weekend, I realized I had missed all my favorite exercise classes (Zumba and Body Pump.) For me, that’s the greatest challenge of the school year – trying to meet everyone’s needs and interests while still carving out time for my own. My Zumba instructor, Toni, invited me to meet her for a salsa lesson one night (dancing, not the dip, lol) and I finally made it out. Oh my goodness, THIS was such a fun way to end my first week back at work! Our instructor, Boris, was AMAZING and despite feeling a bit uncoordinated at times, he provided an hour long mental break filled with laughter and learning (that alone was a RAK for me!)
Then as our lesson ended and I pulled out my wallet to pay, Toni reached across me and said, “Oh no, this is my RAK for YOU! Thanks for coming out and dancing tonight!”
(We forgot to take a picture together, so here’s photo of my dancing shoes instead, lol.)
Could this week get ANY better? I smiled all the way home! I also paid it forward by covering the toll money for the person behind me on the highway. 🙂
I hope you’ve enjoyed my summaries of kindness shared by others in my world – I can’t wait to do more RAKs soon! A little bit of kindness goes a long, long way… who can YOU bless with a little bit of joy this week?
Thanks for reading!
Last weekend my husband and I were in DC to celebrate our 20th anniversary. (Yes, we’ve been married quite a long time!) He chose a restaurant we had never been to before called Lincoln, which happened to be within walking distance of our hotel. The serving staff was friendly, the food was flavorful and reasonably priced being a downtown restaurant, and we enjoyed the ambiance of the unique decorations.
As we enjoyed our appetizer, we told the waitress we were celebrating our 20th anniversary and had her take a photo of us (after all, we will never be this young again, lol.) Her name was Milena and she had a richness to her voice that matched her beautifully unique features. We asked where she was from and she replied “Eastern Europe” with a smile that held secrets we dared not ask.
After dinner, we asked to see a dessert menu (something we rarely order, but felt we should since it was our anniversary.) A few moments later, Milena returned not with a menu, but a slice of chocolate cheesecake with a lit candle in the top. “For your anniversary. From us.” Oh my gosh, what a surprise! I laughed in my delight! We were being RAK’d by this new restaurant!
As we reveled in this unexpected surprise, the restaurant’s executive chef, Demetrio Zavala, approached our table to congratulate us on our anniversary. “You need champagne! A drink to celebrate! I bring you whatever you want, on me.” More surprises! Such fun! Who in their right mind would turn down free drinks and dessert?
If you are in Washington, DC, stop in adn enjoy a meal at Lincoln. It’s not often in this day and age for a restaurant to provide anything for free (much less gourmet cheesecake and champagne!)… such random acts of kindness show a generous spirit and should be commended!
Be blessed this holiday weekend – more RAK stories to come!
This entire weekend has been rainy. Dark. Dreary. Drizzle. Downpours. Depressing. Somehow the alliteration of my words echoes the dullness of the day. So… what better way to beat the doldrums… but to don my raincoat and drive out to perform a RAK! 🙂
As many of you know, several of my RAKs occur at grocery stores. Usually this is because I am ALWAYS grocery shopping. (Hey – I like to cook and I like to eat… it’s a logical place to spend my time, lol!) Kroger, Martin’s, Food Lion, Target, Walmart, Pole Green Produce… if you sell food, chances are I have visited your store a time or two!
Some people clip coupons; some people look for sale flyers… I’m a gal of convenience. If I need something and you’re on my path from here to there, then I’ll shop at your store. I like to stick with stores where I know the general layout (mainly because my time is precious and it’s easier to run in and out if I know where something is located versus hunting the entire store for a box of rice noodles that can only be found down the Asian food aisle.)
There are times when grocery store chains try to reel me in as a repeat customer by offering special deals or perks. Kroger offers fuel points and sometimes if you purchase gift cards there you can earn up to 4x the price paid. Now that’s a good deal! Food Lion is currently running a special where each week if you spend a certain amount of money you earn a ticket – 6 weeks of tickets can be redeemed for a “free holiday meal” (which is a $20 credit on your next food bill.) That’s a good deal, too!
Well, as luck would have it, I earned three tickets, not six. Again, I shop for convenience, not for dedication. Instead of just throwing away the tickets which were useless to me, I decided to take this rainy weekend and bring a little sunshine to someone else’s day.
I made a sign, explaining that the tickets were free to take, then I taped each ticket to the message along with my business card so those who received the RAK could visit this website and read the background story of their RAK. Then I drove to Food Lion and taped my sign and tickets to an outdoor display right outside the storefront doors.
I thought maybe someone might be collecting tickets, but missed one week, or maybe didn’t spend enough money to earn a ticket. Whatever the reason, I hope the person (or people!) were blessed by this Random Act of Kindness. If you are reading this today and you were the lucky recipient, please comment below if you like to share the joy of paying it forward!
I hope you can find inspiration in even the darkest of days to bless someone else in fun, creative ways. Performing this RAK sure did bring a smile to my face! 🙂
Well, once again I found myself at Starbucks performing another RAK. (I’m sure you are convinced I have a coffee addiction by how many of my posts reference Starbucks, lol.) I met up with a friend during our once-every-four-years coffee break (I am not kidding. It really has been four years since we’ve seen each other!) While standing in line, I remembered that Starbucks was having a buy one, get one free special. Yay! What an easy way to bless someone else!
While my friend was drinking regular coffee (not one of the frou-frou drinks shown on the advertised special), I decided to bless the gal standing in line behind us. “Excuse me,” I began, “I’m getting one of those drinks up there. It’s buy one, get one free. Would you like my free one?” She smiled back in surprise at my offer. “Are you sure? That’s really sweet of you!” I returned the smile saying, “No big deal! Just let them know what you want!”
I didn’t get a photo of her, and I didn’t have any RAK cards with me, so she may never see this post. But it was fun to bless a stranger just the same!
The next time you have a buy one, get one free offer, think about blessing someone else with your freebie!
Be inspired and pay it forward! 🙂
Last Friday was the official “last day of school” for teachers. WOW! Another school year done, time for summer break. As I was packing up my belongings for the two month hiatus, I thought again of the students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I recently read that their district has plans to demolish the existing school and rebuild another one.
Starting over. Renewal. Rebirth.
Focusing back on the present I took one last look in my computer lab, then shut the door quietly and walked down the hall. There were tearful goodbyes for coworkers who were moving away or moving on to new adventures. There were smiles and laughter as others shared their plans for the summer. Keys and paperwork were turned in and… that was it. The school year was over!
As I got into my car, my purse overturned on the front seat, spilling everything out. The first thing that caught my eye was a page of coupons for the restaurant, Ruby Tuesday. Oh my gosh, I had totally forgotten that was in my purse! When it arrived in my mailbox a few weeks ago, I almost threw it away (It’s not close to my home, so I never go there). Then I realized I could use the coupons to bless others for random acts of kindness! I put it in my purse with good intentions, but with all the end of school craziness it ended up lost in the muddle until this moment.
I bet you know where this is heading… 🙂
Instead of driving home, I drove to Ruby Tuesdays. Even the darkening skies couldn’t damper my excitement at bringing a smile to a stranger’s face.
I pulled out the coupons and made dedication cards for each. I would be able to bless four people today! Awesome!
I chose to dedicate each of these RAKs to Rachel D’Avino, a behavioral therapist at Sandy Hook. Surely she would have been excited about the last day of school. She may have even gone out to lunch with her friends to celebrate the onset of summer break. I felt it was a perfect way to honor her memory.
I walked into Ruby Tuesday and was met by the greeter. “How many in your party?” I had to smile at that question, because it was a party in my heart indeed! I explained my purpose, that I wasn’t here to eat, but rather to perform random acts of kindness in Rachel’s memory. The greeter returned my smile and ushered me into the dining area. “Feel free!”
As I scanned the room half-filled with diners, I decided to start on the right side and just bless each table until I ran out of coupons. The first table had an older couple eating. “Hi… My name is Tamara and I am doing random acts of kindness today. I would like to bless you with a discount on your meal. This card has my website and can explain more.” They were surprised at first (as expected), but thanked me for my generosity as I moved on to the next table of diners.
Two ladies were sitting behind them, the waitress checking to see if they needed anything else with their meal. “Sorry to interrupt,” I began, “But I wanted to bless your day with kindness. Here is a coupon for your meal today!” It’s difficult to explain the rush of emotion you receive when you bless a stranger in this way. There’s always a little bit of apprehension at first (“Are they going to think I’m weird?!), but the appreciation shown by others quickly overrides the worry and replaces it with pure, unfiltered happiness. It’s truly a win-win experience for me and the stranger!
My third coupon went to a mom and her two children. She reached out and shook my hand, grasping it firmly between her own. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” The gratefulness in her voice hinted to an untold story of need. I KNEW the moment she grabbed my hand that this RAK today was no coincidence. She was absolutely chosen by God for today’s blessing!
My last coupon went to a large group of diners seated in the middle of the room, two tables pushed together to accommodate everyone. “This isn’t much, but I hope it blesses your day!” The lady smiled back with appreciation as I quickly exited the restaurant. My work here was done!
No matter if you are a student, teacher, parent, or professional, I hope the start of summer break brings blessings and joy your way. And the next time you get a coupon in the mail, maybe you will choose to use it for someone else instead!
Be blessed, dear friends, and thanks for reading! 🙂