By Vicki Little
You may have heard a time or two about someone who paid for a stranger’s meal or for the coffee in the car behind them. Last December, a Connecticut Starbucks had a run of nearly 1, 500 customers “paying it forward” by purchasing the coffee for the car behind them. Maybe it was just the holiday spirit to begin with, but it became so much more when people became inspired to keep the good feeling going and sometimes even ended up paying double or triple what they expected to. Even better, it opened the eyes and minds of others who heard about it, and many other random acts of kindness were reported through the month as well.
These random acts of kindness not only change the day for the person on the receiving end, but they also put a peace and happiness in the heart of the giver. And it is something positive in a world that sometimes seems too negative. Try it yourself; Random Acts of Kindness Day is on February 17th, and it is the perfect time to do something random! Here are some ideas for inspiration:
- When you are shoveling your sidewalk, keep on going as long as you can and help a neighbor out. Can you imagine how excited you would be to walk outside and find this had been done for you?
- When you are walking into a grocery store, bring the cart back that someone just emptied. You will be doing two acts of kindness, one for the person that doesn’t have to return the cart and another for the employee that gets the carts from the lot.
- Let the person behind you in line go first. Whether they only have one item or many, they will be grateful for the few extra minutes and the nice surprise you added to their day.
- Send a note to someone who may get overlooked. Your child’s art or music teacher for example, who does so much to make them smile but often gets stuck behind the scenes. Or maybe to your boss or your favorite clerk at the grocery store. Simply tell them that they are appreciated.
- Call the manager of the store or restaurant you visit to compliment the service you received. The majority of the calls are negative, it will do wonders for the employee getting the praise and for the manager that for once gets to compliment instead of reprimand.
Do you have an idea for a Random Act of Kindness? Please share, we are always looking for more ideas!
Vicki Little is a work-at-home mom with two young kids. A Colorado native, she is the Publisher and Editor of Macaroni Kid Aurora and Downtown Denver. When she isn’t writing or trying to keep up with her kids or she can be found volunteering, reading, or enjoying a bottle of wine with friends.
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