Thursday, February 22, 2018

Random Acts of Kindness


We celebrate/commemorate a lot in February: Valentine’s Day, Wear Red Day (heart disease awareness), Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday, Presidents Day, Black History Month, Groundhog Day… and snuggled right there between Chinese New Year and Drink Wine Day is Random Acts of Kindness Day.

 “Celebrated on February 17th each and every year, Random Acts of Kindness Day is when everyone has the opportunity to do something nice for a complete stranger, a family member or a coworker.” (Random Acts of Kindness Foundation)

Yes. There is a Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. In fact, the RAKF celebrates Random Acts of Kindness WEEK. In the under-acclaimed movie “Pay It Forward”, a 7th grade Social Studies teacher assigns his class to devise and implement a plan that will change the world for the better. One student’s plan is to do a good deed for someone, and then ask the recipient of the deed to “pay it forward” by doing 3 good deeds for others, who request that each of those 3 pay it forward to 3 more, ultimately causing an unending ripple of good deeds. Since it IS a movie, of course some of the good deeds backfire. But in the end, like a Hallmark Christmas movie, everyone finds love and lives happily ever after.

Mr. Webster tells us “random” means “proceeding, made, or occurring without definite aim, reason, or pattern”, so the deeds in the movie don’t fit the definition of “random”. But random or intentional, kindness is contagious. Studies have shown that when a person does an act of kindness for someone else, that kindness unfolds, like a ripple on a pond. ANY act of kindness matters.

When I speak to you of kindness, I realize that many people reading this are "the choir". Many of you donate time, money, and energy to specific deeds and events that are kind, helpful, and even life-sustaining. Today I’m thinking about kindness from a little different perspective when I specify RANDOM (occurring without definite aim, reason, or pattern).

Biblically, the Good Samaritan is the ultimate example of doing random acts of kindness. The Samaritan came upon a man on the side of the road, who had been beaten, robbed, and left half dead. Expecting NOTHING – not even a  “thanks” – the Samaritan bound the injured dude’s wounds, and THEN obtained and paid for his extended rehabilitative care. Random acts of kindness.

According to the RAFK, “… the original construct (of random acts of kindness) implies a level of anonymity … that seems to have been lost.” That means that many people might perform acts of kindness, but they expect (at a minimum) recognition or thanks, making the acts not random at all, but intentional. Consider some of these totally random acts you might have performed, or had done to/for you: In heavy traffic, someone slowed and let you merge. Someone at Aldi’s gave you a grocery cart, and refused your quarter. Someone dropped a coin in your expired parking meter. Someone took the mayonnaise and opened that sealed lid for you. A stranger admired your blouse or your tie. When you got to the Starbuck’s window, someone had already paid for your coffee.  Someone at the grocery store reached up and got a can off the top shelf for you. While you were away for the weekend, someone put your newspapers on the porch.

The possibilities are endless! I’m proposing each of us perform some random act of kindness every day for the next YEAR. If you can’t do that, then an intentional act of kindness will suffice. Remember the ripple effect. If everyone did one act of kindness every day, just imagine what the world would be like a year from now!

I’ll start: Whoever you are, and wherever you are, I wish for you a day filled with joy and peace!

Your turn.

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