Kindness and Compassion
Did you know that February 17 is National Random Acts of Kindness Day? Some have even turned the whole month of February into a kindness extravaganza. What a great idea and an easy way bring a little joy into the lives of others. Random acts of kindness (RAOK) are fun because people aren’t expecting them, and because RAOK don’t have to cost any money.
We’ve all heard stories of restaurant patrons leaving huge tips or entrepreneurs donating gobs of cash to communities in need. Those generous acts are fabulous and amazing, but they are not the only RAOK out there.
For example, I called a friend this week to tell them I was thinking of them, and the response I got was “Awww, you were thinking of me? That makes me feel good.” And her saying that made me feel good. Win-win.
A few weeks ago I was in Target, and I saw a woman deliberating over what checkout lane to choose. She picked one with a frazzled, stressed-out clerk, so discombobulated that her glasses were sitting askew on her nose and she didn’t even notice. As I watched, the shopper put her items on the belt, then grabbed a gift card and had the clerk scan it.
After her purchases were bagged, the shopper handed the gift card to the clerk, and the clerk’s eyes immediately teared up as she tried to refuse the gift. The shopper wouldn’t take no for an answer, and as she walked away, I could hear the clerk saying “God bless you, you are an angel.” My heart grew three sizes just witnessing a random act of kindness.
According to The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, compassion is “concern for the wellbeing of others.” The Center’s website further notes that “the experience of compassion has a radiating effect, extending kindness and forgiveness toward others.” Everybody could use a little compassion right now.
The online dictionary at www.vocabulary.com, describes compassion as “the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it.”
I’ve always had a literary crush on Atticus Finch, the brave and humble father in Harper Lee’s beloved novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. He described compassion to his daughter like this: “If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
Those of us who have lost loved ones or have lost the ability to provide for our families over the last year are suffering in a way that we never imagined, some without even a physical shoulder to cry on. What if we took a little time to climb inside the skin of those who are suffering and walk around in it? Tackling the needs of others during a pandemic can feel overwhelming, but showing compassion to just one person you encounter, even if it’s just one person a day, has ripple effects that go beyond the moment. Why shouldn’t RAOK go viral and become a way of life, during February and every other month of the year? They are easy and fun to do, and they make the giver and the receiver feel awesome.
#ExploreTheGood
#MakeKindnessTheNorm
#RandomActsofKindnessDay
