I have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day. It’s cute when little kids hand out Valentines to their classmates, and it’s sweet if your spouse or significant other recognizes your relationship in a small way, but to me it mostly feels like a forced display of affection that puts too much pressure on people to perform. I think it’s far more meaningful to tell someone you love them on a Tuesday in April than on a certain holiday we’ve designated on the calendar.
That being said, there’s another day to consider investing our time and money in. Monday is Random Acts of Kindness Day. To me, the most attractive quality in another human is kindness. Loyalty, honesty, and a great sense of humor are wonderful traits to have, but I’ve always measured how close someone will be in my life by how kind they are to their fellow humans.
We live in a fast paced society where we make our busyness our social status, but the truth is we all have an hour or two we can carve out of our schedule to practice kindness. In anticipation of Random Act of Kindness Day coming up on Monday, I offer these fifty ideas to choose from. :)
buy the coffee for the person behind you in line
offer to walk someone’s dog
write a heartfelt note or text to a friend to remind them why they are important to you
bring cookies to a nursing home
compliment a stranger
keep care packages in your car to hand out to the homeless
write thank you letters to men and women in the armed forces
spend time with an elderly relative or assist an elderly neighbor
give up your seat on a bus or train
offer assistance to someone in a stranded car
send someone a song with a text “thinking of you!”
volunteer for a non-profit once a month
stop and buy the lemonade from the kids with the lemonade stand
donate books and gifts to a children’s hospital
tutor a kid struggling in school
bring bagels and spread to your coworkers
tip your waiter generously
pay for someone’s overdue library fees
donate school supplies to classrooms
give your umbrella or jacket to a stranger
give grocery gift cards to someone struggling financially
plant a tree
sit with someone new at lunch at work or school
offer to share your table with a person dining alone
bring flowers to someone you know could use some cheering up
tell someone how nice their hair or clothes look today
call an old friend you haven’t spoken with in awhile
send printed photos of grandkids to grandparents
deliver a plant to the office of your significant other
shovel your neighbor’s driveway
offer to mow your neighbor’s lawn
leave a sticky note on a stranger’s car wishing them a nice day
donate backpacks or school supplies to struggling families
plan a “kids are the boss” day where the kids make the rules
tell the regular people who help you (barista, grocery clerk, custodian) that they matter
offer to babysit for free
offer to pick up goods for family and friends on a grocery or Costco run
sign up for be my eyes to assist the visually impaired
pick up someone’s dry cleaning for them
sign up for Amazon smile to give a % to charity
send a text or make a phone call to someone just to ask “how are you today?”
offer to cook someone a meal during a hard time
invite a friend for a mani or pedi as an opportunity to catch up
pay the toll for the person behind you
put change in an expired meter
help someone with heavy bags at the airport
offer up your table at a busy restaurant
check in with someone who is ill
write a positive recommendation for a local business
give someone a great big warm hug!
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Pick a few on the list and get busy spreading some kindness around!
p.s. if you’d like a printable list, I made a PDF of these 50 random acts of kindness to print.:)
The world is a better place because you’re in it Kate.
I rarely comment, but I ALWAYS read. With so many bloggers (including me) cutting back or giving up blogging completely, I appreciate that you’ve stuck to it and continue to produce valuable, useful content to your readers.
Happy Valentines Day!
aw so very kind thank you Doreen! I appreciate that *so* much!
Happy Valentine’s Day and Random Acts of Kindness day!
I’d never get out of my car to help someone pulled over. I’d be willing to phone for assistance for them. I’d never help some one at the airport with their bags and I wouldn’t want anyone touching mine either Sorry, but it’s the times we live in. Isn’t that awful!?
not awful, it’s your call. everyone has different feelings about the level they’re willing to go to help strangers.
don’t beat yourself up if it makes you uncomfortable. :)
The image with the locks brings back memories of my trip to Paris last summer…LOVE this list, such a great reminder to be present in life. No act of kindness is too small. Thank you :)
thank you so much! I remember seeing locks on bridges in Paris too. this image is from austria.