Be the Change: A blog series about “random acts of kindness”

My last blog, which feels like eons ago, was about traditions. One of my family’s traditions I wrote about is our (nearly) nightly discussions about our roses, thorns, and daily random acts of kindness. We still do this…but I have been thinking for some time that the random acts of kindness we take part in are much too passive. I had the idea for this blog series and started the ground work last May, but hadn’t gotten it done. Then I found inspiration…

After seeing the massive damage caused by the hail storm in early September I saw the most amazing thing… neighbors helping neighbors. Imagine this: lines of neighbors standing in line waiting for the next bucket of muddy hail water to be passed out through a basement window… during lulls people introduced themselves since most had never met. Children of the neighborhood took the empty buckets and delivered them to the start. By the end of that night, at house number four…we worked together like a well-oiled machine. Early in the day, my youngest daughter went around the neighborhood handing out cold bottles of water. Later in day, the manager of Texas Roadhouse and his wife came to the neighborhood and delivered Ribs & Salads because they heard from a friend how bad our neighborhood was hit ( isn’t Texas Roadhouse food to die for?!?). Another neighbor who wasn’t able to physically help delivered huge bags of burgers, chicken sandwiches and fries. I was in awe (still am, really). I was always excited about living in our neighborhood… this day made me over the moon about it! I was so fortunate to witness and experience this… I was left with such a warm feeling. Many that day reported feeling the same… our neighborhood really pulled together.

Then I knew I had to see this series into fruition. It is so easy for any of us to say, “be the change you want to see in the world.” I am determined to become more of a “doer” and less of a “sayer”. This blog series is about helping inspire others to “pay it forward” or start “being the change.” This is not, I repeat, not for recognition for any of the “random acts” my family and I perform… My goal is to eventually highlight other “doers” and the random acts they do.

Random Act #1: Feeding Expired Meters

How big of a bummer is it when you get back to your vehicle downtown and you have a ticket?? It can turn a good day sour and make an already crummy day worse… last May after having lunch downtown I reached into my big fuschia, overstuffed purse and sifted through collecting all my silver coins. The total was just over $6.50 (was it time to clean that out, or what?!?). Then I went walking down the street looking at meters and feeding change in the expired or nearly expired meters. Let me tell you something, it felt good! It didn’t matter that the people wouldn’t know. Just a little thing, but it’s a start… Hmm, what shall I do next? We shall see.