This past week an event of sorts went viral on Twitter and Facebook as people began to perform random acts of kindness. On Twitter the hash-tag used was #20Acts, the “20” in memoriam to the twenty children killed at Sandy Hook, later the #26Acts began showing up to include the teachers who died during the assault as well.
We may have been powerless to stop what happened last Friday, but we are definitely not powerless in making this world, even in a small way, a better place. A random act of kindness is simply that; a small, simple act done for another person, without expectation or request; an act done out of purity for the purpose of spreading some of that beauty and goodness which seems so elusive in times like these.
If you are a little short of cash this holiday season, don’t despair, there are plenty of random acts of kindness you can do which cost little or nothing; donating blood saves the lives of three strangers; leave a note to a friend, teacher, or coach and let them know how much you love or appreciate them; try to be more accepting of people who are different from you; instead of laughing at or walking by the kid in the hallway who just dropped all his stuff, help him out; make the lives of those around you a little easier by doing what you KNOW you are supposed to do; offer a smile to a person who needs it…
There is so much we can do in our daily lives to make the world a better place in some small way… I’m a firm believer in “good gets better” – meaning all those small acts added up, really will make a difference.
Instead of commenting on this blog, post your #26Acts.