30 Days of Gratitude Challenge - Day 9

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I am so grateful for those of you joining me in this gratitude journey. I hope you are enjoying yourselves.

Today is dedicated to random acts of kindness. Have you been the recipient of an RAOK? If so, what was it? How did it make you feel?

Let's multiply that feeling today and do a random act of kindness for someone.

Here are some ideas:

Pick up litter along your street or nearby park

Help an elderly neighbor clean their porch or yard (depending on the amount of time you have)

Bake cookies for someone as a special treat; deliver them with a sweet note

Pay for someone's meal, coffee, chai

Drop off a batch of quarters/dryer sheets/detergent at a laundromat; leave it with a note letting everyone know it is a gift for someone who needs it

Drop off some books at a Free Little Library, slip $5 in one book with a note to enjoy a hot beverage while reading

Make dinner for a family who could use a night off.

I know you all are creative and can think of multiple RAsOK.

This will be fun. I can't wait to read about what you have decided to do.

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by Granny_Weatherwax

[SKL]

RAOK came up at TaeKwonDo last night.  They are encouraging students (mostly kids) to do this.  I thought to myself:  I'm a mom.  Half of my life is a series of random acts of kindness, LOL.  Of course the recipients usually don't even notice, or if they do, they figure it's my job.  🙂

Speaking of my kids, they occasionally surprise me with a random act of kindness toward me.  It often involves food.  Since I don't like cooking, I feel like it's so sweet when one of my kids prepares something for me ... or even if they purposely save a bit of their food/treat for me.  🙂  This also gives them the opportunity to know the feeling of being thanked for cooking, so they will hopefully remember to do that when others cook for them.  🙂

I had someone pay for my meal at a drive-thru window once or twice.  It reminded me that I should do that more often.  Since I don't often remember, I pay for multiple people in the line when I do remember.  🙂

I can't remember too many other "RAsOK" done for me, though I remember that it has happened - I remember the feeling of surprise, gratefulness, and hope in humanity.  🙂  I have done some too, that I don't really remember specifically.  I should do more of it though.

Before I had kids, I decided at one point that I was going to do [at least] one act of charity / volunteering every single day of my life.  I guess I forgot about that at some point when my life got really challenging.  I should get back to it.  Examples could be RAsOK, doing work as an officer of several charities, making a donation, or planning/running a volunteer event.  It was a nice and grounding practice.

[WildflowerMom]

I love the ideas you listed.  I can't do anything today because of my fibro flare-up, but I think i'm going to do the laundromat idea soon.   

[Granny_Weatherwax]

My most recent RAOK was the day my youngest DGD was born. We met DD and DSIL at the hospital, grabbed DGD1 and headed to Starbucks to grab a quick beverage for the drive back to our town. We fully anticipated a nice long wait and wanted some caffeine for the adults and something in DGD's stomach to satisfy her during the ride. DGD was still in pajamas and I only had grabbed slippers (we had our house quite early in the morning) so we went through the drivethru. We placed our order and were happily surprised to find that someone in the store had paid for our order. The reason? He liked my car, a convertible VW.  It was a wonderful treat on what would become DGD2's birth day. 

Our anticipated long day of waiting did not happen. We received a phone call from DSIL before we reached the main highway. DGD had been born! Our free Starbucks had barely been sipped.

I haven't been able to do a RAOK yet. I'll get to it soon.

[DreamerGirl]

I have been the recipient of more random acts of kindness than I can count. I am more the if there is something scheduled I will act on it. I am trying to become better at this.

My biggest gratitude for today though if I may stray from the topic, DD5 got vaccinated. I feel like I can breathe a bit more easily.

Thank you for this thread and these ideas especially.

Edited November 9, 2021 by DreamerGirl

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I completed my RAOK.  It felt good. So grateful to be able to do something like this.  

[mom31257]

I will be on the lookout for something I can do. It probably won't be today, but hopefully soon! 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Bump

[SKL]

I didn't end up with an interesting "random act of kindness" yesterday.  The more I thought about doing something, the less possibility of "randomness," LOL.

But I did do a bunch of things to help my housemates throughout the day.  Whenever I have time, I do a bit of housework or other small tasks that are technically someone else's responsibility.  I like to make things easier for the next person when I can.  Fill up things that empty, clean things, carry things, etc.  I don't know that anyone notices these things ... but I guess they may notice when I don't do them?  I decided that this counted as my RAOK for yesterday.  🙂

[Granny_Weatherwax]

My 'random' act wasn't random for me if we define random as spontaneous. It was random in that it was something I would never have done on a regular day. I think it was totally random (surprising) for the recipient.

I think your helping housemates was perfect.

[SKL]

Timely moment ... my kids wanted Starbucks so we were in the drive-thru.  The cashier said "the people ahead of you paid for your order."  So I paid for the one behind.  That doesn't count as a random act of kindness by me (because I was only paying it forward), but I hope it blessed the person who started it in front of me.  🙂