Day Eight - Kindness

Today I'm Grateful for:-

Today I’m Grateful for Kindness

This week has been National Kindness week, with today being National Kindness Day.

When I was a little girl, my mother used to do Random Acts of Kindness all the time, and taught me that it was a wonderful way to keep kindness in your heart. The first one I can remember, I was very little, we were at a local shop and the elderly lady in front of us was a little short of money for her grocery bill, so Mum just very quietly told the cashier that she would settle the difference. No fuss, no grandstanding, just quietly settling the problem. The elderly lady was very grateful and Mum just smiled her beautiful smile and we left.

All through her life she just did it, she didn’t think it was anything unusual, as she said, “it’s just the right thing to do”.

National Kindness Day got me thinking about the people who have gone out of their way to be kind to me throughout my life. There has been so very many, it’s hard to pick just one or two to share.

I know one thing I will always remember; when Hubby and I were first married, we moved to Sydney, where I didn’t have anyone nearby to talk to or ask for help. With Hubby being away for 9 months at a time, it was difficult.

The kindness I would like to mark is the lovely people who lived next door to us. It was an older lady and her brother and their dog Gus.

Even before bub came along, once they found out that I was alone, the lady would come over and see if I was ok, before offering ‘afternoon tea’ - Just like high tea, with cakes and little china tea cups- her brother would come over and see if I needed help with the little home maintenance thigs that would normally be done by Hubby. And the dog Gus would lick my face when I was crying. When bub came along, they bought her a lovely silver moneybox, and a silver charm bracelet, and lots of lovely compliments on how well I was doing. They never intruded, were always respectful, and the great thing is, that even though the brother died a few years ago, we still get a Christmas card from her every year. This year when I sent her Christmas card, I let her know how much she and her brother meant to me and that my little girl was now having a child of her own.

And just recently, with those terrible bush fires so close to us, one of our friends phoned us to say that even though they were going out, if we needed to evacuate, they had set up the spare room and to let ourselves in through the back door. How wonderful to know we have friends like that.

I like to think that my Mum’s thoughtfulness was passed along to me, I do try to keep in mind that Kindness should be a daily thing, not once a year. And yes, I practice Random Acts of Kindness constantly.

I found a really cool website today while surfing, it is www.helpothers.org and in it they said: “We are surrounded by kindness every day. Unfortunately, we get so wrapped in life that we forget to stop and smell the roses, as they say, or witness the acts of kindness that surround us each day. Little acts of kindness and love are the best parts of our lives.  As the Dalai Lama said, “When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us to develop inner happiness and peace.”

So today, I am grateful for all those little kindnesses that others have done for me and will continue to conduct Random Acts Of Kindness for others.

Will you?

Kisses

Julie