Practice random acts of kindness

I’ve started writing monthly letters to my grandmothers and my husband’s as well, and including pictures of our children since they don’t get to see the kids often. All of them have been really pleased, and it is such a simple thing to do. It just takes a little while in the evening after the kids are asleep.

When I turned in my final exam for second semester calculus, I put a note in the envelope for the professor thanking him for two terrific semesters of calculus. (Never thought I’d say that to ANYONE, since math really hasn’t been my thing!) Anyone that can teach me enough to get a B in the first semester and possibly (probably) a B in the second semester has really done some teaching. When I took the first semester the first time, I got a D. I have no idea what changed in 10 years, but I am grateful to him for his efforts and I wanted him to know that he helped me overcome some TERRIBLE math anxiety. It used to actually make me nauseous to think about math exams – no longer!

I was struggling for ideas earlier but I came up with a few:
1. Clean off my neighbors’ cars after a snow.
2. Shovel their walkway.
3. Rake their leaves.
4. Email or call people with a word of encouragement when I know they are struggling.
5. Toys for Tots
6. Surprise kids in my life with a little extra spending money
7. Plant a few surprise crocuses or early-blooming flowers in common areas or along paths
8. Say I’m sorry when I need to.
9. Really listen to someone who needs to talk.
10. Offer to help some of the older residents in my neighborhood.

I smiled alot and was polite and friendly to all of the people who waited on me in restaurants. I also chatted with people from other parts of the country/world while in Epcot. I’d like to think I helped make their visit a friendly, fun one. I know the interaction brightened my days.

Not because I’m not a nice person. I just don’t get out of the house much. Can you do random acts of kindness at home? Not really … not really random. Ah well. Guess I’m going to have to work on getting out of the house more first!

She was not feeling well and having a hard time of it generally. Just quick note to let her know I was thinking of her; she loved it!

I did send him a thank you note, since he was one of the few teachers that really helped prepare me for college.

1. Dropping some coins in front of my townhouse for the kids that play out front to find.
2. Praise waiters that give me good service to the manager.
3. Smile at the people I pass when I walk in the mornings (not an easy task for me – I’m not really a morning person!)
4. Send a care package to a woman I know through friends; she just had a baby but could probably use something nice for herself.
5. Send an anonymous “Thank You” card to the police who patrol (and have a small substation) in my neighborhood

I took a trashbag with me when I went for a walk with my son this morning and started picking up bits of trash lying just off of the paths I usually walk. There were things I simply couldn’t pick up, but I did the best I could with a son in a stroller. (Who leaves dead batteries out in wooded areas? And dried out 5-gallon buckets of who-knows-what?) Anyway, I tried to clean up my neighborhood a little.