http://fatmumslim.com.au/random-acts-of-kindness/
The reason her post attracted my attention, is because the lady I told you about, whose husband just had brain surgery on a tumour, told me yesterday that I had a heart of gold.
All I did was drop in some chicken soup to her and make a couple of phone calls about some help and support from community organisations. Such a small thing. So small, that I felt guilty and selfish for not doing more ... there is so much more that could be done and needs to be done.
While Adoring Husband and I were in Maryborough pulling down the photography exhibit today, we called into the hospital on the way home to visit her husband. He has been admitted and will soon commence rehabilitation to repair the damage caused by the stroke and the surgery.
She was there too and showed such gratitude that we made the effort to visit.
Again, such a small thing.
When fatmumslim talks in her blog about the 'Friends' episode where Phoebe wants to do acts of kindness that make others feel better, without feeling good about herself, but finds it impossible because she gets so much joy from those acts.
I rarely feel any joy from doing acts of kindness. As I mentioned above, I feel guilt that I'm not doing more, and guilt that I'm not prepared to go out of my way to do more. I know that I SHOULD do more, but I'm too selfish to step up and do it.
I make a mean chicken soup and when my friends fall ill with the flu, I'll deliver a few containers of my chicken soup. I feel guilty and believe that I should be walking through their door and doing their housework, getting their groceries, collecting their mail, watering their plants, feeding the dog ... but I'm too selfish.
An acquaintance was going to Canberra for a week, in the middle of Winter, and didn't have a warm coat, so I lent her a red leather 3/4 length coat and a woollen scarf to take with her.
While she was away, I decided that because I now lived in Queensland and didn't need my 6 warm coats, I would offer for her to keep it.
She loved the coat and agreed to keep it, which made me feel good. The following week, she handed me a sealed envelope. Inside was a thank you card with $40 inside. She wrote "This probably doesn't come close to what you paid for it, but please accept this as my way of saying thank you".
Even though I didn't want to accept it, I knew that she (being a pensioner) felt good to be able to offer that money. It was about her pride and self respect and her generation not wanting to accept charity.
I felt that me accepting that $40 was a bigger act of kindness than giving her the coat in the first place.
Making a phone call, sending a text, sending an email just to acknowledge somebody's sadness or excitement is an act of kindness that people appreciate. It just takes a second, but I know how warm and fuzzy it makes me feel when somebody does that for me and I know that someone is thinking about me and sharing just a little of my sadness or good fortune.
If someone you know is having a lonely, quiet birthday, buy a little cupcake, stick a candle in the middle of it and visit them singing happy birthday, then share it over a cuppa. It's a small thing, but meaningful.
So if such a small thing means so much to me, I should understand that my small things mean the same to others.
Gosh I beat myself up over a lot of things don't I? I've really gotta get over myself!!
Ok, on a lighter note, I've got some cute dog photos to share with you.
The October flickr challenges were set to day. I will share them with you tomorrow.
Nite all.
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