Spreading Kindness

 We returned from our Sunday morning walk to find the most delightful, little parcel waiting for us on our front steps. The sweet young family from two doors down had so very thoughtfully presented us with special home made treats- a work of their heart and hands. 

Little hands had carefully picked fresh basil and cherry tomatoes from their garden and bigger hands had lovingly prepared generous portions of fragrant pesto, marinated tomatoes and a sumptuous zucchini bread. All beautifully wrapped and left for us to discover. What a wonderfully, unexpected surprise! It really brightened up our day!

This started me thinking on how important random acts of kindness are. In the back of my mind, I knew this. But, sometimes I needed a reminder to push this to the forefront of my thinking. Especially, during this rather strange time in the world- pandemic, protests, riots, high unemployment levels, low leadership levels and a general sense of unease, mistrust and disillusionment.

However, rather than spending our energies focusing on what isn't right in the world, if only we could redirect that energy to brightening someone else's day. It's been proven that the sense of well-being this act generates, benefits not just the receiver but the giver as well.

So, as a recipient of a random act of kindness, what should I do? 

Delighting and savoring all the delicacies that I received certainly makes me feel good. But, that good feeling doesn't need to stop at me. 

I need to pay the kindness forward and do something good for someone else... to continue to spread the joy...to continue to keep that ripple of giving moving.

If I was take it one step further, then giving anonymously or secretly without expecting anything in return would be it. This is the premise of a wonderful book called "Magnificent Obesession" by Lloyd C. Douglas where good deeds received are to be paid forward, not necessarily back to the giver, but to someone else who most needs it.

SpreadKindness.org has some wonderful kindness ideas to get started from leaving a kind thought on a post-it-note for a stranger to find to something as simple as sharing a smile with someone. Their free kindness cards are a fun idea to give recipients of a random act of kindness to encourage them to "pay the kindness forward" and pass it along to someone else.

So, while I savor the zucchini bread and pesto, I must find a way to pay this kindness forward and bring a little spark of joy to someone else's day, just like someone so kindly did for me today.