All done

We are all done with another month.  Oh my!  It seems like I am checking them off like something I'm happy is done.  That really isn't the case though.  I cherish every single day and although we have now come to the end of this month, we can look forward to the next, and the ones after that, and all the adventures yet to come our way!

Continuing to build the list

Every now and then, I have listed here some random acts of kindness.  Here are more:  Give toys to the children at a shelter. Volunteer to fix up an elderly couple’s home. Give a bag of groceries to a homeless person. Call an estranged family member. Leave a treat or handmade note of thanks for a delivery person or mail carrier. Mow a neighbor’s grass or sweep a neighbor’s walk.

love with no strings

We all need to love more freely.  Love should come with no strings attached.  Don’t say "I love you" expecting to hear it back. Say it to make sure they know!

A smile from Christie

Model Christie Brinkley knows a thing or two about smiling, so when you said "Share your smile with the world. It's a symbol of friendship and peace," you know that she knows that to be true!

because of who you are

Do things for people, not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.

Let me make this perfectly clear

Every single morning I wrote about kindness.  Does that mean I am an expert?  Does it even mean I am a kind person?  Let me make this perfectly clear.  I am just as flawed as anyone else, but I believe that being kind to one another is the only way to live.  Hopefully I will someday be an expert.  You can be sure I will keep trying!

Dreams

If you can dream it, you can achieve it.  Never give up.  Oh and when you accomplish your own dreams, reach out and help some other folks do the same.

Language of kindness

“Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see,” said Mark Twain. Wow! "The deaf can hear and the blind can see - sounds like a pretty incredible language. We should speak it more often.

being there.

In a world that often feels loud and rushed, I want to be someone who brings peace. I don't have all the right words, but I can be present. I can be kind. I can listen. We never know what someone is carrying quietly. Sometimes our gentleness is the answer to a wish they haven’t spoken out loud.

Hello

Hello.  It's a short word.  It's only five letters and just two syllables.  Hard to believe it can be such a big deal, huh?  Well, a phone call with a simple hello is a VERY big deal.  It can totally brighten someone's day.   Think of those who are always alone.  Think of friends or relatives who are far away.  Say hello!

Your simple random acts

Remember all the times I listed various random acts of kindness?  Did you ever do any of them?  What inspires you to do those simple kind acts?  Help us all out and list some ways in the comments below.

She brought doughnuts

Yesterday I was at a training for hospital volunteers.  (I've already been volunteering, but going to an occasional meeting helps me to stay fresh, and also meet any new folks).  The person making the presentation is also a volunteer and she does such an amazing job.  She even brought doughnuts!  The kindness was so visible in every direction.

at the store

The other day while I was at the store, the lady in front of me was having trouble paying.  She presented a VISA card, but the store doesn't accept VISA.  She was traveling from Canada and it seems the only cash she had was Canadian.  She kept apologizing but really had done nothing wrong.  I asked how much it all cost and it was only fourteen dollars and some change, so I handed the cashier a twenty dollar bill.  You would think I had just given her a new car!  Both the lady and the cashier kept thanking me.  The lady then offered to give me the equivalent in Canadian currency.  Nope.  That's fine.  Glad I could help.  And that was that.  I just know this lady will be helping someone else one day!

Arnel's Foundation

Journey's fantastic lead singer Arnel Pineda did something even more fantastic than his singing, he founded the Arnel Pineda Foundation, Inc! It's a charity organization based in the Philippines and from what I read it is doing amazing things for the kids there. Now I don't know Mr Pineda at all and my only information is what I read, but he seems to have performed an incredible act of kindness and generosity. The world could use more folks like that.

Red hot kindness

During the summer months where I live, it can get pretty hot.  We have reached the triple digits every day lately.  Heat can do many things to people, but don't be overcome by it.  Remember the sunscreen and the water.  A kind thing to do would be to have extra to share with someone who might forget.  (Drugstores often have trial size sunscreen and water comes in all sizes these days).  Many cities have cooling centers on those very hot days.  Don't let yourself get overheated, and if you encounter someone who has, seek assistance for them.

Ice Cream Sunday

Wouldn't you like and ice cream sundae today?  Would that make this and ice cream Sunday?  Oh my!  What a kind thing to do - sharing the joy of ice cream with others/  What's your favorite flavor?  I'm a huge fan of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey!

Kindness always

It's simple.  It really is.  No matter what, no matter when - kindness always.  We need to get more and more people on board with this.  Think of how much better the world will be!

Making people smile

The other day I saw an Instagram post that said, "All I want in life is to make people smile."  What an incredible wish!  This caring, kind, unselfish guy sure made me smile.  My wish would be that we could join him and all smile every single day of our lives.

For the love of music

One thing that really helps me every single day is music.  I love music - all kinds.  I listen pretty much all day.  In a few hours I will listen to a live cello performance that a very kind artist is sharing with the world.  Right now, a Texas radio station is playing classic hits as I type this.  Music really has super powers.

All those donations

I see kindness expressed through donations all the time.  During the year I raise funds for various causes, and it warms my heart when folks contribute.  Recently someone I don't even know gave a large monetary gift.  I see lots of donations come in at the hospital where I volunteer too.  People give money and there are also a lot of donations of used books and magazines, and of course donations of time.

Inspire people

Inspire people.  Make the day happen when someone says "Because of you I didn't give up"  Is there someone who has been an inspiration to you?  Be that person for others.

You owe me

Did you ever have someone tell you how many things they had done for you and how you now owe them?  In my way of thinking, they gave you nothing at all. Gifts don't come with strings attached. Of course if is always very nice to do kind things for those who have done kind things for you, but that should not be your reason. Actually no reason is necessary at all. Give out of the love in your heart, and expect nothing in return. That is the real joy.

We're supposed to be different

How can we discriminate against an entire group of people? I don't get it. When I was little I remember the drinking fountains labeled "colored" and "white."  (I actually used the colored one once in a store, thinking the water was colored, and boy did I get yelled at by the racist storekeeper). These days I see more discrimination based on religious affiliation or gender identity, and I still don't get it. We're supposed to be different. That is part of the beauty of life. We are supposed to discriminate though, because despite all of our many differences, we still are all equal!

Greet everyone

When you enter a room, greet everybody.  Seriously.  This is a courtesy thing and also an act of kindness.  No one likes to be ignored.  This doesn't mean you have to discuss your entire life with everyone you encounter but at least acknowledge those around you.

It just feels good

Writing this blog every single morning has (hopefully) made me more aware of how we act toward each other.  There are so many reasons to be kind to others.  For me, the biggest thing is it just feels good!

Ugly dress

If a woman asks you about the hideous dress she is wearing, there is no great need for you to say it is ugly.  If you are her spouse or a close friend, you might make a suggestion about how she might improve her appearance, but this is one of those times when it is okay to skirt the truth.  Oh and if she didn't ask, what does it accomplish if you simply blurt out that the dress is ugly?  The kind thing to do is sometimes to simply keep your mouth shut.

Quoting Robert Kennedy

"Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not."  -Robert Francis Kennedy

ALL

Sometimes I wonder how many people have actually read the Declaration of Independence. In the second paragraph, you'll find these words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Now please note there is no asterisk. It doesn't say except for people of color or people with blue eyes or people who are gay or Jewish people or transgender or any other exception. It says ALL!

never give up

Sometimes it seems like there is more bad news than good and sometimes it seems like the world is full of mean people, but keep positive.  Don't let the negativity get you down.  There is always room for your kindness, so never give up.  You just might change the world!

Hold the door

Waiting an extra ten seconds can seem like an annoyance, especially if you're running late, but holding that elevator for the person who is rushing to catch it, is a perfect way to show you value another's time.  The same thing is true when you hold the door open for a person entering a building behind you.

Happy July!

Let's all do the best we can to make this a very kind month.  Happy Saturday.  Enjoy your weekend. Happy July everybody!