Acts of Kindness

And, an especially big welcome to spring! (Photo taken at the Homestead Harvest Restaurant. See the 3/13/16 blog post for more info.)

This blog post was inspired by someone who was kind to me when I needed kindness.

Recently, I was having my own private little pity party despite my best efforts to be positive. It was like a black cloud was hanging over my head. I wished that someone would send me a positive email, and not long afterward, guess what? I received a really cute, lighthearted e-card from a supportive, psychic friend which really turned my thoughts and emotions around. After that, several positive things started happening in my life. I couldn't believe the transformation.

If a simple e-card can help someone that much, just think of what we could all do to brighten each others lives, to make this world a better place, one act of kindness at a time!

"Kindness: the most valuable gift you can give someone."
-The Peace and Love Train

There's another person (among others) that I enjoy being around. She's always saying positive things to and about people. Even when she's speaking to a stranger on the phone, she says something positive to that person, like, "You're doing a great job!" Or, she might say, "You're like a ray of sunshine!" to someone. That sort of thing puts people in a good frame of mind that helps them have a much better day, and it also might even influence the people around them in a positive way.

Another time in my life,* I was helped by strangers. Several years ago, my car hydroplaned off the road on a very stormy day in a rural area. I was by myself on the way to an important meeting. Afterwards, my car wasn't working, and I was badly shaken. An elderly couple stopped by to see if I was okay. They were very kind, and helped me make plans about my car, and my meeting. (It was the time before cell phones!) Everything finally turned out well. Although I got to my destination a little late, and I looked a little disheveled, things could have been much worse. I was so thankful for the kind strangers who came to my rescue when I needed help.

I always thought that the nice couple who helped me must have been angels, but they might just have been regular folks who liked giving others a helping hand whenever it was needed. In any case, they were very special, and I'll always be grateful to them.

You might know, if you read my posts regularly, that I'm a big fan of the wonderful magazine, "Woman's World." Well, just recently, I checked their website,  www.womansworld.com . It has some interesting features like "Feel Inspired" which has articles on kindness, as well as other things.

Also, there's a website I really like that gives some unique ideas for showing kindness to others. An excerpt is below.

-"Share overheard compliments."
-"When you see something good, share it...."
-"When people are gossiping about someone, be the person to chime in with something nice."
-"Encourage someone to pursue her dreams."
-"Donate your stuff."
-"Put a surprise note or sketch in with your spouse's or kid's lunch."
(And, there are 92 other ideas!)
-From "98 Random Acts of Kindness-Ideas to Inspire Kindness"
 www.bradaronson.com/acts-of-kindness/

Plus, I'm sure we can be creative and come up with some of our own ideas. as well.

There's also a 2002 book that I'm thinking about getting. It's "Random Acts of Kindness" by The Editors of Conari Press. It has five stars on Amazon.

*Just as I was to this point in writing this post, I noticed it was past time to feed our cats after both of them came and reminded me of the fact. I always clean out their litter pans every time I feed them, but I noticed something different this time. I decided to take a picture of it in the litter pan since it was quite unusual, as you can see. Either our cats are very artistic, or something else is going on! It could very well be an act of kindness sent from a heavenly artist! (Love and kindness never fail!)

Happy Easter!

Positive thought: "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echos are truly endless."-Mother Teresa
Thanks for visiting! Until next Monday, March 28, 2016, Becky