No Act of Kindness, no matter how small… is ever wasted. ~Aesop . “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” ~Lao Tzu These are just a few examples of people showing random acts of kindness and these come from a great website www.givesmehope.com! Many years ago, I received a letter in the mail. I’m sure it was at least 25 years ago. But to this day, it seems like it was just yesterday. It was on the prettiest stationery, peach colored linen, addressed to me, with no return address. I opened it up and read it. I would share it word for word, but it’s too personal and, well basically, this woman told me how much she admired me, made me feel like a million bucks and signed it “A sister in the Gospel” I can’t tell you how much that letter meant to me. You see, at that time, I was a single mom, was working full time, trying my very best to be the “perfect mom”, trying to do everything that was expected of me in every sense of the matter, and was trying to prove to myself that I could really make it! It made such a difference in my life that someone else had noticed how hard I was trying and that they took the time to let me know that they had noticed. But the thing that was absolutely amazing to me is that this person didn’t want anything in return. They didn’t need any praise, they just wanted to give and didn’t want anything back. I’ve often thought of this person and as I’ve gone throughout my life, her example has reminded me, that I need to live a life of service. That I need to do my very best to spend time doing Random Acts of Kindness, like she did. Recently, I read a little paragraph in a fellow blogger’s post about paying it forward and it made me smile. At a toll booth, he paid for his vehicle’s fee and the one behind him. That car would then approach the toll booth to find out that their fee has been paid. Sure, it costs a few dollars. But the thrill of doing something nice and completely unexpected for an unsuspecting perfect stranger, who will never know who was ahead in line and therefore will never know who to thank or give credit to, is a great way to remind others that there is still a world full of kindness and generosity out there. I think the concept of paying it forward is so wonderful for a number of reasons: 1) By doing something like this, it helps us to remember, “How can I create a little happiness for someone?” or “How can something I do let someone know, with no strings attached, that kindness is still present in others?” 2) It’s centered around giving rather than receiving. It’s important to be gracious when receiving, however giving is a gift unto itself. 3) It’s joyful both ways. Doing something nice for a perfect stranger can generate an unmatched feeling of pure joy. You can’t help but feel amazing JOY in your heart and can you imagine what that other person feels? WHAT YOU PUT OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE COMES BACK TO YOU TENFOLD I have learned from experience that when we commit an act of kindness for others, for strangers, it’s only a matter of time before that kindness comes back to us. Being kind is a gift that gives both to the giver and the receiver. Call it “what goes around comes around”. But that is not the reason for doing this… My main reason for doing this, is the satisfaction and feeling I get from seeing the joy on that other person’s face of JOY and the feelings of JOY I have as the ACT is produced! Call if what you want and do with it what you want, just do it! What are some random acts of kindness you can perform today? Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not. ~Samuel Johnson Many Joyful Hugs to all, Cathleen

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