Random Acts of Kindness

While glancing at the Channel 2 news, my attention was drawn to a story of pink ladies.  They were wearing pink hats, pink scarves, and pink shirts.  So I turned the sound up and learned they were celebrating one lady's 40th birthday.  The pink?  Let me explain.

One sister was diagnosed with breast cancer.  While in treatment, she begged her sister to get tested. Damn, if the tests didn't diagnose breast cancer in her, too.  So what were they doing in the news report?  Celebrating life!

In honor of Michelle's birthday, she, her sister, a friend or two, and their mother set out to commit forty random acts of kindness in one day.  Oh my gosh, the fun they had!  They visited an animal shelter and showered those babies with gifts.  While waiting at a stoplight, they yelled over to the woman in the car beside them and gave her money to take her kids to the movies.  The joy was contagious.  In response, other people committed RAKs.  And these women were happier and more celebratory than people turning forty usually are.  Especially people fighting breast cancer.

It got me to thinking.  Have you ever had the pleasure of committing a Random Act of Kindness?  I have.  And many years ago (pre the era of state testing and structured curriculum), many of my students did one or more RAKs too.

Once upon a time, it was another dreary February, and Valentine's Day was approaching.  Oprah had just done a show on a relatively new phenomena, the Random Act of Kindness. Since the best parts of education are often the holiday related activities, I built a unit around this theme.  I showed a portion of the show to my kids and got them started on a week to commit one act of kindness.  When they were finished, they were to fill out a heart-shaped piece of paper (I personally cut out at least 300 freakin' hearts) with what they did.  All names were optional. They went "krazy with kindness," and we filled a bulletin board in the main lobby with their hearts.  It was a fun, fun week.  I've even had former students tell me how that small unit spurred them on to a lifetime of being  conscious of unexpected opportunities to perform RAKs.  One particular student became the Queen of RAKs.  She was supposedly a "mean" girl, but with this unit she was free to show us all how big her heart really was.  And it was BIG!

Every March, the funeral home that buried my mom sends a reminder of her April death.  It stabs me in the heart (like I could ever forget).  The card suggests lighting a candle in memory of the loved one and doing a Mitzvah.  For those of you not well-versed in the Jewish religion (like me -the Jewish girl who goes to church), a Mitzvah is an act of kindness.  Performing Mitzvahs is an important principle of the Jewish religion.  I do a Mitzvah every year in honor of Mom.  Giving is the best way to honor her as she was a very generous woman.  This year, a sister blogger explained the importance of the Johns Hopkins Children Center to her and her family, so Hopkins received a donation from me in honor of my Mom.  It made me feel good; and I know, if Mom were here, she'd have matched my check. 

But back to birthdays and Random Acts of Kindness.  In a few weeks, I turn sixty.  No, I will not try to commit sixty acts of kindness in one day.  LOL  But, I have pledged to myself to do at least six anonymous RAKs.  Join me in the celebration!  Try one, just one, random act of kindness, and I know you will be hooked. 

I need nothing material for my birthday.  In fact, I spend a lot of time trying to declutter my house.  However, I need, heck we all need, a better and kinder America.  In the immortal words of Blanche DuBois from  A Streetcar Named Desire, "Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." Just for fun, let's all try to be one of those strangers sometime this year!  Blanche and I are counting on you.