Acts of Random Kindness to You

I am sure many of you have read the children’s story called “Stone Soup” and are wondering what on earth that has to do with being kind.  I don’t know about anywhere else in the country, but here in Northern NY, it means a lot about random kindness.

Several local churches have started having what they call Stone Soup dinners. These dinners are free to anyone and everyone. It makes no difference if you have no money or if you are a millionaire just looking for someone to have dinner with while enjoying their company.

The dinners seem to be a hit and due to the church making it known that this isn’t simply a charity event, they seem to be bringing the communities closer. The dinners are anything from a full turkey dinner to meatloaf dinner to a pancake dinner depending on the week.

I think that organized religion should do more things like this and open their doors to everyone for something so heartwarming. The prices of everything are going up and people in the world are feeling more and more isolated, so what a great thing this concept could turn out to be for everyone. If you get a chance in your area, pass it on.

After all, the world would be a better place if we all found just a little more kindness.

I was reading a little newspaper here yesterday and it had a little blurb about a story from back in 1995. As I am always looking for heartwarming and inspirational stories, it caught my eye. Many of you have probably heard the story, but as for me, I must have been too busy worrying about college to pay attention to the kindness of others in the world.

Anyway, as the story has it, a man got his hands on a million dollar monopoly piece.  It appears that the where and how of getting this piece might have been shady, but that isn’t the heart of the story. So, he mailed this piece to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Can you imagine their reaction to receiving a million dollar donation?

Of course, when it came around to being possibly a stolen piece, you would think that takes the heart from the story. Until, the huge corporation Mcdonalds decided to honor the donation anyways in $50,000 payments each year until it is fully paid.  That put McDonalds on a new level in my eyes and that was truly an Act of Random Kindness.

Sometimes we need to remember that Acts of Random Kindness certainly aren’t apparent at the outset of something we do and they usually aren’t million dollar acts, but every one of them counts in making the world a better place to live. Have a great day!

My father has Alzheimer’s disease and it is advancing very quickly. He is only 63 years old and it makes it tough on my mother who is still working full time as an ER nurse. She has to work overnights to allow the rest of us to be home while she works. It becomes exhausting.

However, one good thing has come out of all of this. My brother and his wife along with my husband and myself have grown closer and closer. We rely on each other to get through what needs to be done.

You always hear when you are younger that the day will come you will need your siblings. Of course, at that time you don’t believe it, but it is true. We were lucky in that we married good spouses and that we all have good careers with some flexibility.

So, the next time you get upset with a family member, just remember how very much you might need them one day.

This weekend, I had an opportunity to participate in a very moving event. It lasted only 10 minutes or so, but will remain with me for years to come. It cost me nothing, but time to participate and I am a better person for having been a part.

A 20 year-old soilder was killed in action in Iraq on January 6th. It was not unusual to hear about as I live right near Fort Drum, NY which is a very heavily deployed base. However, what was unusual is that this young man grew up and went to school in the community closest to ours. The media asked people to please join the community by lining the sides of the streets as he returned home for his last time.

As the flashing lights could be seen in the distance, businesses began to close and employees filtered to the streets with the rest of us. Veterans stood at attention at the local VFW for an hour before this young man’s arrival back home. It was silent as the fire department, police cars, soilders, and finally this young man’s family passed through the streets. The casket passed and both adults and children held their flags a little higher and placed their hands on their hearts. It was a tribute to a fallen hero.

I can’t imagine what it was like to be at war or even what it is like as a family to get that message, but I have no doubts that the family was made proud by their community on this Saturday morning. It brings tears to my eyes even now as I replay it in my mind.

The kindness shown by this community cost nothing except a little bit of time. However, the pride and peace it must have brought the family is not measurable. Please keep both your local military members as well as all military members in your hearts and minds. It is not about our opinions on the war, it is about humans losing their lives for us and for our freedom.