There have been a lot of significant moments, but there was one day in particular that really made me think about what type of person I wanted to grow up to be.
My younger sister has a different mother than me and my older sister. Her name is Lindy and we were visiting her and my father for Christmas break. Lindy took my sisters and I on an outing where we spent the day doing secret, random acts of kindness.
We got a bag of quarters and went and filled parking meters. Then she took us to antique stores and we would walk around and listen to the customers talk about things in the store they wished they could afford. When the customer would walk away, we would grab the item and take it to the register and secretly pay for it and leave it for them.
After that day I knew if I ever grew up and had extra money I would do things like this and I would teach my kids to do things like this.
I often hear people saying that acts of kindness should always be done in secret. Because if they aren’t, it’s self-fulfilling.
I believe this to an extent.
I learned a big lesson that day that kindness and generosity don’t have to be flaunted all the time, or even rewarded. But it does need to be taught. Had Lindy not taken us out on that adventure and allowed us to see her random acts of kindness, I wouldn’t have learned anything. There are times I’ll do things and tell no one, but there are also times, especially in CoHorts, where we share and talk about our random acts of kindness. And these acts inspire more acts and it’s a beautiful thing to see. So don’t be afraid to show people that you do kind things. But don’t be boastful about it and don’t share every act you do. Share the ones that need to be shared, but remember that kindness should always be given without expectation or a need for acknowledgment or reciprocation.