The Helpers
After yesterday's tragic events in Boston many people are talking about, thanking, and praising the helpers. Not just the law enforcement officers and medical people who rushed toward the violence to help but also to the people that opened up their homes to the stranded runners and other visitors to the city. People outside of Boston are making appointments to donate blood which may never get to Boston but will help someone. After I had a pretty major surgery several years ago I needed a transfusion and I am forever grateful to the good people who donate blood.
The thing is, we don't need to be attacked, we don't need to be placed in horrible situations in order to do good for others. If you feel like you want to do something to be a helper today, then by all means do it and try to hang on to that feeling. Hold it and act on it for as long as you can. If it goes away, let it come back and act on it again. Sometimes simple, random acts of kindness can benefit you and the recipient. For example, I sometimes shop at a large farmer's market that is so busy they can't keep the shopping carts near the entrance, they are always out in the parking lot. I usually walk past a cart corral and grab one which I leave by the front door because I only need a basket. But someone else coming into the building who has forgotten to grab a card in the parking lot now has one to use. One day as I was leaving this same market I over heard a woman telling her daughter that they would leave the cart near the entrance and it would "make someone's day." Witnessing this mother teaching her daughter about random acts of kindness sure made my day.
What can you do to help someone today?
Check out the gallery page - Future Relics Gallery by Lori Buff
The thing is, we don't need to be attacked, we don't need to be placed in horrible situations in order to do good for others. If you feel like you want to do something to be a helper today, then by all means do it and try to hang on to that feeling. Hold it and act on it for as long as you can. If it goes away, let it come back and act on it again. Sometimes simple, random acts of kindness can benefit you and the recipient. For example, I sometimes shop at a large farmer's market that is so busy they can't keep the shopping carts near the entrance, they are always out in the parking lot. I usually walk past a cart corral and grab one which I leave by the front door because I only need a basket. But someone else coming into the building who has forgotten to grab a card in the parking lot now has one to use. One day as I was leaving this same market I over heard a woman telling her daughter that they would leave the cart near the entrance and it would "make someone's day." Witnessing this mother teaching her daughter about random acts of kindness sure made my day.
What can you do to help someone today?
Check out the gallery page - Future Relics Gallery by Lori Buff
Thank you for a thoughtful post. Love the peace sign
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Isn't the peace sign wonderful.
DeleteI thought the peace sign was flowers till I clicked on your blog, thanks for the reminder to do random acts of kindness.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Linda.
DeleteI agree! Every time I have to go "out there" to run errands or shop, I try to make a human contact with sales associates and try to make it a better experience than it sometimes can be. I try to hold a door, help pick up something that was dropped, just random little things to help, instead of getting cranky, I come home having interacted on a more personal level. So great to see the spirit in people yesterday after all the mean people I encountered last week!
ReplyDeleteUGH. Yes, what?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. Yes you are right! Random acts of kindness can make all the difference in someone's day. I love the movie about "paying it forward" as well, can't remember its title, but love thy neighbor is truly what it is all about.
ReplyDelete