For my new readers, let me give you a little background on myself and how I grew up. I am number 5 of 6 children (3 boys, 3 girls), and my grandpa lived with us until the day he died, when I was a young lass of 22. Add in my parents, and we’ve come to the grand total of 9 people cohabitating together. With a crowd like that, everyone had to do their part and pitch in, and it was easy to get lost in the shuffle of the daily grind. Just about everything we owned as kids were either shared, hand-me-downs, or garage sale finds, except for a few cherished things purchased at the beginning of every school year, Christmas, and birthdays.
Birthdays were the ONE day of the year that it was all about you. The birthday person got the “first” everything. First glass of milk, first piece of dessert, etc. (this was a big deal for a quiet little “bratty” sister such as myself). The birthday person got to stay up UNTIL MIDNIGHT (in our room, but still...) No lights out at 9 pm? Even on a school night? Heaven. The birthday person didn’t have to help clear the table or do the dishes, or anything sucky like that! It was the one day of the year that we were made to be the most important person in the household, and that stuck with me.
I always try to celebrate in a big way, not only on my birthday but for people I love, too. A couple of years ago, I decided to do an experiment of sorts. To celebrate my birthday month , I decided to have 31 days of kindness. That is, I tried to do something nice for someone else, every single day. (It proved to be difficult some days!) But I just loved doing it so much that it’s now become a tradition. So, here are some snippets from my 31 days of Kindness:
Put change in a vending machine.
Do a chore for someone.
Return someone’s cart at the store.
Let someone go in front of you in line.
Leave a letter in a library book.
Compliment someone else.
Write a thank you note to someone.
Tell someone why they are special to you.
Bring flowers to someone you appreciate.
Tell a manager how good your service was.
Give a lottery ticket to a stranger.
Call a friend you haven’t seen in a while.
Gift someone an ebook.
Teach someone something new.
Donate books to the local little library.
Buy coffee for someone.
Do a favor for someone.
I got my kids involved, too. I taped a chart on my fridge and said, “This is like a present to me. When you do something from the list, write your initials and the date.” So they did. Every time I saw that list had another set of initials, it made me smile and feel all warm ‘n’ fuzzy.
On my actual birthday, I went a little nuts. But, I got my kids really involved and we had an absolute blast together that day. I started the morning by making them breakfast - Eggs, toast, bacon, the works! I was surprised when I received some very thoughtful gifts from them afterwards. Then, we headed to the library to check out some books and movies. I let my two teens to take turns driving so they could earn hours since they only have their learner’s permit.
Next, we headed to the dollar store, where we purchased all kinds of fun toys and activities for a family we know who has 7 younger children. We surprised them by knocking on their door and leaving the present on their porch. We rang and ran! Hehe. We then went to a crowded shopping plaza and proceeded to tape nice/inspirational notes on random people’s car windows, so that when they came out of the store, they’d hopefully smile. Bumper bowling for the three of us was next, accompanied by mozzarella sticks and french fries. Even with the bumpers, we still managed to suck, and not one of us broke 100. However, we DID break out in lots of giggles. Then, I happened to see in a group text that my friend jokingly needed a margarita. So, it was super fun that I surprised her and showed up on her doorstep with a margarita in hand 10 minutes later. (That was kinda awesome.) After a quick visit, it was on to Dave & Buster’s for some gaming (where we also donated to the Make-A-Wish foundation), then went to pick up my mom for dinner (Pizza, of course!) and enjoy a few cocktails. The night ended with all of us piled on the couch to watch a movie together, with a brief intermission for making a wish and ice cream cake! It was definitely the most awesome birthday. The random acts continued throughout the month, and it was pretty cool to see the universe reward us with some amazing gestures in return.
I think I’m generally a kind person, but it wasn’t always easy to do something nice for someone else every. Single. Day. Although I may not always give as much as I can each day, I still love doing this experiment every year. It makes me more aware of the ripples I make in the cosmic universe, so to speak. And, I was often surprised when karma rewarded me with some unexpected acts of kindness!
My dad died a little over a year ago, but, I shall leave you the words he uttered to me at the end of every phone call, or any time I left his house: “Be good. Behave. Love you.”
Pass it on. The world needs it.
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