Last week I attended a dinner theater with a friend who bought my ticket and arranged for neither of us to have to drive the hour-and-a-half to get there from out town. She said that a friend of hers had been treating her to dinner out for several years since her husband passed away and she'd been looking for someone to "pay it forward" to and lucky me - I got to see Church Basement Ladies 2 with some wonderful company!
Especially these days when it seems most everyone is living below what we're used to, it's so refreshing to see people extending generous kindnesses.
Now you've gone and done it Shellon. Although many, if not most, on GSC won't believe it I am a big believer in the "small kindness" things. Being nice rarely costs a single penny - maybe a couple of minutes of your time. I'm the nut job that still helps little old ladies (although I am rapidly becoming an old man) put their groceries in the trunk. I'm a firm believer in supporting people who are hired at the local grocery with Down's - I pick their lines on purpose if they are bagging.
Today I walked into the Einstein's bagel shop at the student union. Now ya gotta understand that Louisiana can be a weird place racially - where certain people still often end up with the service jobs and certain others as the "users" of those services. Result is often a very under toned strained racial relationship. There is a fine woman there named Brandi - always has that smile on her face and humming some nice tune - and always has that sweet greeting that is common in LA - "How you doing this morning baby?" Today she asked me how I was and I said fine as long as I can see you in the morning darling. She got all soft and told me I made her day. Well on the way out I got to thinking (rare for me) and stopped off at the bookstore to pick her up one of those 3-D ornaments - made out of little delicate threads and such - packed flat but then you "puff it out" and it becomes a 3-D snow flake - all delicate silver and white threads and such. Bought one for her and brought it back to her...to quote the oft used line...I wish you could have seen the look on her face and heard the words she said.
Yup, these are the things I'm talking about, Box and RR, excatly. Simple, perhaps but either we get or we give such joy; often both... bonus!
A stressed out mama wrestling a toddler, 3rd grader and an infant. A gentle touch and a "you're amazing!" might get her through the rest of the day.
Waiting to pick your kid(s) up at school in Michigan in the middle of February and see the Secretary's car covered with 2 feet of the mornings blizzard? Take a minute and clear his/her car off and say nothing.
Know your neighbors favorite treat? Leave a basket of it on their porch. Have a garden in the summer and know a family that could use some extra veggies? Fix a basket.
Kelly, my 14 year old, and I, adopt a family each Christmas holiday and do little things for about a week, secretly, ending in small gifts for each child. Our budget is small, so we don't give what we ourselves need, but little and simple things. A note, a dessert Kelly made, etc.
I am moving and had built up a large pile of bags to take to Goodwill, but have a very small car. Rather than make 4-5 trips, I'd planned to borrow someone's truck to drop off. This afternoon I went outside and the stuff was gone, as well as the entire covered porch area was cleaned up and swept off. I've no idea who did this and the relief at no longer having to deal with that chore was immense.
A short email to someone you've not kept contact with, but meant to.
A hand written note card actually sent in the mail !
These things are such fun. Small gestures of blessing and we never know what good was just done.
Sometimes someone is struggling with a very difficult and perhaps permanent decision that might, just might, be altered by someone just noticing them, appreciating them.
Since you bring up Kelley and adopting a family - here is something that is nice but also practical as heck and solves one of those gigantic parent problems. Ya know when you look around the kids' room and see all of those toys that they haven't touched in 5 years but refuse to toss? We find a family and make an XMAS visit. Some of these kids are from such broken places that they've never seen a wrapped gift. My kids - yeah even my son - really get into wrapping the used toys up and ya know it is just hawg heaven for some kid to have not one - but 25 wrapped XMAS gifts. The practical side? Ya got your kids to clean out their rooms (*snicker*). My children have moved on now - but between them they still maintain the same practice.
Funny how that ratty old nerf football that you'd just love to toss became the gift that made some young boy run up to his mom and say, "Look what I got mom?"
Yeah! Belle turned me onto freecycle.com and I've subscribed for a few years now. I got a glorious christmas cactus from a lady who just didn't have room for it anymore. It just bloomed for me!
Tomorrow a lady is coming to my house to pick up all the little girly stuff I had for Annie's room to make it princessish - the canopy that hung from the ceiling over her bed, the pretty sheer curtains with the beads on them, the bedding fit for a princess in pinks and purples, Hello Kitty and Barbie junk - finally we'll be rid of them and this lady's 4-year-old granddaughter will be delighted to receive them. I'm tossing in a few books and a few dolls for good measure. I love freecycle!
Now Annie's a teenager and into an entirely different style. It's great to know someone will enjoy that stuff.
Hubby and I adopt a lady at the homeless shelter every year. My sis is the director there. Also, this year I have knitted several scarves/hats for the drug rehab where my niece works.
I buy Clinique makeup when I can get the bonus gifts. Recently, a friend mentioned she only had one tube of lipstick....well, guess what?? She has has many tubes of lipstick, eye makeup, etc. So much that she also shared of her newly-acquired stash with her sister-n-law and daughter. She told me yesterday at lunch what she had done with some of the items that I had given her. I thought that was super cool.
I like doing little things for people too. Like sending them inappropriate personal gifts, keeping an eye on them when they're out alone, and just sorta hanging around their homes whenever I feel like it. You know, just watching out for 'em and stuff...
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bowtwi
I love this idea!
Last week I attended a dinner theater with a friend who bought my ticket and arranged for neither of us to have to drive the hour-and-a-half to get there from out town. She said that a friend of hers had been treating her to dinner out for several years since her husband passed away and she'd been looking for someone to "pay it forward" to and lucky me - I got to see Church Basement Ladies 2 with some wonderful company!
Especially these days when it seems most everyone is living below what we're used to, it's so refreshing to see people extending generous kindnesses.
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RumRunner
Now you've gone and done it Shellon. Although many, if not most, on GSC won't believe it I am a big believer in the "small kindness" things. Being nice rarely costs a single penny - maybe a couple of minutes of your time. I'm the nut job that still helps little old ladies (although I am rapidly becoming an old man) put their groceries in the trunk. I'm a firm believer in supporting people who are hired at the local grocery with Down's - I pick their lines on purpose if they are bagging.
Today I walked into the Einstein's bagel shop at the student union. Now ya gotta understand that Louisiana can be a weird place racially - where certain people still often end up with the service jobs and certain others as the "users" of those services. Result is often a very under toned strained racial relationship. There is a fine woman there named Brandi - always has that smile on her face and humming some nice tune - and always has that sweet greeting that is common in LA - "How you doing this morning baby?" Today she asked me how I was and I said fine as long as I can see you in the morning darling. She got all soft and told me I made her day. Well on the way out I got to thinking (rare for me) and stopped off at the bookstore to pick her up one of those 3-D ornaments - made out of little delicate threads and such - packed flat but then you "puff it out" and it becomes a 3-D snow flake - all delicate silver and white threads and such. Bought one for her and brought it back to her...to quote the oft used line...I wish you could have seen the look on her face and heard the words she said.
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Shellon
Yup, these are the things I'm talking about, Box and RR, excatly. Simple, perhaps but either we get or we give such joy; often both... bonus!
A stressed out mama wrestling a toddler, 3rd grader and an infant. A gentle touch and a "you're amazing!" might get her through the rest of the day.
Waiting to pick your kid(s) up at school in Michigan in the middle of February and see the Secretary's car covered with 2 feet of the mornings blizzard? Take a minute and clear his/her car off and say nothing.
Know your neighbors favorite treat? Leave a basket of it on their porch. Have a garden in the summer and know a family that could use some extra veggies? Fix a basket.
Kelly, my 14 year old, and I, adopt a family each Christmas holiday and do little things for about a week, secretly, ending in small gifts for each child. Our budget is small, so we don't give what we ourselves need, but little and simple things. A note, a dessert Kelly made, etc.
I am moving and had built up a large pile of bags to take to Goodwill, but have a very small car. Rather than make 4-5 trips, I'd planned to borrow someone's truck to drop off. This afternoon I went outside and the stuff was gone, as well as the entire covered porch area was cleaned up and swept off. I've no idea who did this and the relief at no longer having to deal with that chore was immense.
A short email to someone you've not kept contact with, but meant to.
A hand written note card actually sent in the mail !
These things are such fun. Small gestures of blessing and we never know what good was just done.
Sometimes someone is struggling with a very difficult and perhaps permanent decision that might, just might, be altered by someone just noticing them, appreciating them.
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RumRunner
Since you bring up Kelley and adopting a family - here is something that is nice but also practical as heck and solves one of those gigantic parent problems. Ya know when you look around the kids' room and see all of those toys that they haven't touched in 5 years but refuse to toss? We find a family and make an XMAS visit. Some of these kids are from such broken places that they've never seen a wrapped gift. My kids - yeah even my son - really get into wrapping the used toys up and ya know it is just hawg heaven for some kid to have not one - but 25 wrapped XMAS gifts. The practical side? Ya got your kids to clean out their rooms (*snicker*). My children have moved on now - but between them they still maintain the same practice.
Funny how that ratty old nerf football that you'd just love to toss became the gift that made some young boy run up to his mom and say, "Look what I got mom?"
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bowtwi
Yeah! Belle turned me onto freecycle.com and I've subscribed for a few years now. I got a glorious christmas cactus from a lady who just didn't have room for it anymore. It just bloomed for me!
Tomorrow a lady is coming to my house to pick up all the little girly stuff I had for Annie's room to make it princessish - the canopy that hung from the ceiling over her bed, the pretty sheer curtains with the beads on them, the bedding fit for a princess in pinks and purples, Hello Kitty and Barbie junk - finally we'll be rid of them and this lady's 4-year-old granddaughter will be delighted to receive them. I'm tossing in a few books and a few dolls for good measure. I love freecycle!
Now Annie's a teenager and into an entirely different style. It's great to know someone will enjoy that stuff.
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Watered Garden
"Not what we give but what we share,
For the gift without the giver is bare.
Who gives of himself with his alms feeds three;
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and Me."
From James Russell Lowell, "The Vision of Sir Launfal."
You guys are awesome!
WG
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act2
All great posts!!!
Hubby and I adopt a lady at the homeless shelter every year. My sis is the director there. Also, this year I have knitted several scarves/hats for the drug rehab where my niece works.
I buy Clinique makeup when I can get the bonus gifts. Recently, a friend mentioned she only had one tube of lipstick....well, guess what?? She has has many tubes of lipstick, eye makeup, etc. So much that she also shared of her newly-acquired stash with her sister-n-law and daughter. She told me yesterday at lunch what she had done with some of the items that I had given her. I thought that was super cool.
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George Aar
I like doing little things for people too. Like sending them inappropriate personal gifts, keeping an eye on them when they're out alone, and just sorta hanging around their homes whenever I feel like it. You know, just watching out for 'em and stuff...
Restraining orders can be such a downer though...
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