Kindness is Back

I am ecstatic. My husband who has been in Kuwait for a year and in Birmingham the year before is BACK!  He’s been home for a little over a week.

We went on a nearby base a couple of days ago and I stopped and got Slim Jims for the guys at the gate.  It’s something I started doing back during Random Acts of Kindness week in February. I bring them snacks since they’re on their feet outside for hours at a time. 

He asked me why I did it and I said because I like to. Another great kindness event is coming up next Saturday, the Great Kindness Challenge.  It’s an event aimed at getting children involved in helping others, but it’s also a great day for everyone to do as many kind deeds as they can.

If you’re having trouble thinking of some things your kids can do, the Great Kindness Challenge website has a list of 50 suggestions which you can print and check off as you do them.  They include things like leaving a flower on someone’s doorstep, reading a book to a younger person or cleaning up a park.

The last one is notable, too, since we just finished National Park and Recreation month in July.  I’ve been visiting a lot of parks over the last month since there’s a contest I’m hoping to win.  I’ve visited 112 parks and taken over 550 photos of them. 

They’ve run the gamut from nonexistent (no sign, no facilities, no road) to outstanding (playground, splash pad, lake complete with ducks, covered pavilions, grills, exercise area, gazebo, walking path and volleyball, tennis and basketball courts). Overall, I have been amazed how many wonderful parks are out there waiting to be discovered because although I haven’t officially kept track, it seems like at least half of the ones I have visited are empty. 

The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup is also coming up September 15. Over the past 25 years, nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries have cleaned 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers and the ocean. Since I live near the ocean, I’ve participated in the cleanups before.  It’s always on a Saturday and you can just show up and pitch in.  You can also sign up here.

It’s also not too late to make a statement about finding alternatives to fossil fuels. Tomorrow, thousands of people will be joining hands around the globe at noon in your time zone for Hands Across the Sands. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend but there’s an event planned in Pensacola. To find an event near you, check here.

It’s a great time to practice kindness to people and also to our environment. The sun is out, the days are long and everyone can fit in at least a few acts of kindness next Saturday.  Share your ideas here!