Hometown Rankin - February & May 2015

Celebrating Kindness
- Mary Ann Kirby -
There used to be a man in our office
that took out the trash and cleaned the
bathrooms. Every morning I would see
him and he would smile with his whole
face. He just beamed with light.
He smiled with his spirit and he was
the sweetest, kindest soul I had ever met.
I’d look forward to seeing him every
morning – and for the longest time,
I didn’t even know his name.
I was always blessed by his cheery
“hello” and words of encouragement.
He was kind – and his kindness blessed
other people.
Then there’s the woman, who around
Christmas, found herself on hard times.
She’s a single mother of two and, for
whatever reason, was struggling. One day,
she received a letter from an “Amelie
Poulain” from Paris, France. Not
recognizing the name, she googled it in
search of a clue. What she found was that
Amelie Poulain was a fictional character
from a book who apparently spends
her life trying to make life better for
other people.
The woman opened the letter. Inside
was a hand-written note that said,
“Knowing how happy you make other
people, please allow me to return the
favor. Your acts are not unnoticed and
your sincerity is inspiring.” Included in the
envelope was a Visa gift card in an amount
that would sufficiently ease her burdens.
This anonymous “Amelie” knew that
she could help – and she did. Her
kindness changed someone that day.
Hearing of other people’s generosity
and kindness serves to open my heart in
ways few things can. And no matter how
big or small, even the most random acts
of kindness can have profound impacts.
The week of February 10-16 is Random
Acts of Kindness Week. What if we all
took it upon ourselves to bless others in
unexpected ways?
What if we considered a few of these simple acts:
• Smile at people when you pass them on the street.
• Give someone and extra hug or tell them “I love you”. Tell them how much they mean to you.
• Pay for someone’s meal or coffee.
• Leave a book in a public place when you’re done reading it. Include a note for the next person to enjoy.
• Cook dinner for a single mom and take it to her when she gets home from work.
• Write a hand-written thank-you note for something no one would ever expect.
• Give a total stranger a compliment. It costs nothing, takes no time and can change their entire day – and change yours.
• Have coupons you’re not planning to use? Place them next to the corresponding item in the grocery store for the
next person to find.
• Pay for someone’s groceries.
• Visit a senior home for an hour. Some of those folks have very few visitors and would love to feel your energy.
There are infinite ways that we can bless others with our random acts of kindness. So, let’s all do our part in making the world a
better, and kinder, place. And if you can’t do a kind deed, speak a kind word. If you can’t speak a kind word, think a kind thought.
What if in one big, generous, happy, selfless, light-driven week, we changed the course of someone’s life?
• With every deed, we sow seeds for a harvest we may never see.
Hometown Rankin • 9