These Acts of Kindness are in the participants own words and the only purpose of this challenge was to scatter kindness
RAK #33
The act of kindness that I’d like to tell you about is something that may not necessarily be random, since we’ve intended to eventually do it. However, it is something that makes us and others feel blessed.
About 9 months ago, we bought some chicks, with the intent of ultimately getting eggs from these chicks. Throughout the spring and summer, I spent some evenings building a movable coop (chicken tractor) for them, which was a success. It was also a great accomplishment for me, as I had never built anything functional before.
This setup allows us to get organic eggs from pastured chickens, which is something we believe in a great deal. As the summer ended, we began to get some eggs out of one or two of the chickens. But, that was a very low count for the 8 that we have. Time passed and they matured and we are finally getting eggs from all 8 of them. We may not get 8 per day. But, we are getting more than we are able to use.
Given this, we have now reached the point we had hoped for, where we are able to give eggs away to friends and family. While we’ve given some away to local families, one of the most rewarding opportunities we’ve had was giving some away to friends of ours who also greatly value the eggs from organic pastured chickens.
In the past, we have had the chance to exchange favors/gifts. But, nothing compared to their reaction when we handed them the eggs. Apparently, in our conversations, they didn’t yet know that we have chickens. So, it was an incredible surprise to them to hear where the eggs had come from.
So, yeah. Sorry, it wasn’t exactly random. But, it was definitely a rewarding experience.
RAK #34
I had an extremely busy day at work and could hardly find time to eat my lunch. The guys, of course, always go out for lunch and have their rest time while eating. Mid afternoon I was finally able to have some lunch. I had brought a taffy apple, which I love. I usually cut it into chunks for easier eating. A coo-worker walked by and said “Oh, where did you get that? I asked if he would like some, and he happily said yes. A while later, another co-worker walked by and asked if he could have some. I said sure and gave him some. This might sound stupid, but I was hungry and really wanted that taffy apple, but decided I could make them very happy by sharing.
RAK #35
The scales in my life had become uneven, tipping in the wrong direction, where others were receiving more from me than I was receiving from those around me. It didn’t feel very good. So I decided I didn’t want to feel that way ever again, and chose to do something about it. I decided that if anyone deserved my kindness and my goodness, it’s me.
I hit the road and took myself on a trip, bathing in hot tubs and basking in steamy saunas. I hit the beaches and soaked up all of the vitamin D that would fit into this body of mine. I bought myself bouquets of flowers, treated myself to a spa and essentially did anything I wanted to do that money would afford me.
It’s interesting how it turned out. The first thing I noticed was that as soon as I started doing these things for myself, there were other people who came into my life who also did these wonderful things for me. The kindness I gave to myself first, and then others, started coming back to me.
Now it is done. I will continue to do random acts of kindness for myself, then for others, and will definitely be thankful for all of the good things that come back to me. Paying it forward has taken on a whole new meaning, and it’s about time.
Catch up with Random Acts of Kindness Day 1, Days 2-12, Days 13-19, Days 20-27, and Days 28-32!