New Years: a time of resolutions, plans, new
beginnings and a time of reflection.
Recently I came across a news article about
the elementary school shooting in Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012, that explained the
idea of "26 acts of kindness" which went viral after being tweeted. Ann
Curry’s tweet encouraged others to do an act of kindness for 26 days in honor
of those who were killed. (I have the
link for that article at the end of my blog.)
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| https://www.google.com/search?q=act+of+kindness+picture |
Acts of kindness are
not nearly so recognized as acts of violence or hate. That’s sad I think, since like laughter,
kindness often begets kindness. We just
celebrated the birth of our Savior, Jesus.
What would happen if each of us took the initiative like those who
responded to Ann Curry’s idea and purposely planned and carried out specific
acts of kindness to random strangers for thirty-three days in honor of the thirty-three years our Savior
lived on earth, before becoming the ultimate sacrifice on the cross? Wouldn’t this be a grand way to celebrate His
life?
Those who know me know
I am a “hugger.” Giving or receiving a
hug brings me joy! That said, I am often
surprised when someone “thanks” me for a hug!
I hadn’t considered this an act of kindness. But perhaps my hug is the only hug a person
gets on a given day. I remember once
when my husband and I stopped at the scene of an accident. No one was hurt, but emotions were running
high. I was compelled to hug the mother
of the teen involved. She didn’t have a
clue who I was and it didn’t matter.
Physical contact is so important and in my mind, at that moment, I
believed she needed a hug of reassurance.
Did it do any good? I don’t
know. I felt better and maybe that was
enough. I know I would have appreciated
a hug of understanding if I was the one standing there, grateful that no one
was hurt, yet trying to figure out what in the world happened, what to do next,
and how to handle the whole situation!
As we begin this New Year, I suggest kindness creates joy. Joy mushrooms
as we express gratitude. This simple act
can help keep our emotions from falling off a cliff into a pit of self pity,
anger (even if we aren’t sure why we are angry), depression and sadness. Even when you really aren’t happy, going
through the motions, can help to take the edge off feeling down. This is all about attitude. Showing gratitude, even for the small things,
can help keep the whole picture in perspective and make the life we live
brighter. When our lives are brighter,
we are better able to make other lives brighter. It becomes a rich circle which feeds on
itself and grows.
People in our world
today are often afraid to reach out to someone they don’t know. It goes against our culture. We are more inclined to draw back than reach
out. I suggest reaching out with the
acts of kindness. Be willing to expose
your heart. Our world needs to know
love. So I challenge you: for the next 33 days do a random act of
kindness; in honor of each year Jesus lived on the earth!
Happy New Year
everyone!
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