During the WCBE spring fund drive the staff was so inspired by your responses that we promised to each do five random acts of kindness in your honor. Coming up with ideas wasn’t hard, and putting them into action was even easier. In fact, I realized there were different categories of RAK. Some of the things I did in your name were not-so-random; every week when I do my grocery shopping now, I spend $5-10 on food for the free Little Pantry in my neighborhood, to provide a snack or an extra meal for someone who needs it. Some were practical, like taking cat litter and a dozen cans of prescription food to the folks at Cat Welfare. Some were more… whimsical. I used scraps of old sweaters to make a dozen or so little monsters – then scattered them around the children’s sections of two different libraries.
Some of the best RAKs, the ones that make people smile, are small, spontaneous gestures. In the course of this challenge to myself, I realized how many opportunities there are in a day for these truly random acts. Giving a sincere compliment to a stranger. Letting someone move ahead of you in line. Giving your lunch to someone standing at the exit ramp with a hand-lettered sign. All it requires is for you to really see another person, someone you might have passed without a second thought. And to realize you have the power to make their day a little bit better. And I thank you all for reminding me of that superpower we all have!
