I was inspired by something I heard on the radio about making a difference through daily interactions with people. So I decided to really challenge myself to complete 365 Random Acts of Kindness within one year. Surely by then these random acts will become a habit, and that's one habit I won't want to break.
"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." -St. Basil
1) June 15, 2011 – paid for a little old lady’s groceries in line at Mac’s when her food stamp card was rejected due to insufficient funds.
2) June 15, 2011 – paid the $50 deposit for a teen girl’s youth camp
3) June 16, 2011 – helped 3 elderly people in a parking lot push down the fold a wheelchair they were having difficulty loading in their handicap van
4) June 19, 2011 – kept my dad company while everyone was out of town by sitting for 3 hours and watching nature channels, pretending to be as interested as he was
5) June 20, 2011 – donated 2 boxes of used books to the Rapides Parish Library
6) June 21, 2011 – Donated 3 boxes of clothes to a group headed out on a missions trip to Guatemala
7) June 24, 2011 – picked up 4 pieces of scattered trash from trash day that had fallen upon my neighbor’s yard (it wasn’t my trash lol)
8) June 25, 2011 – relinquished my seat at a packed barber shop to a woman with a cane
9) June 26, 2011 – told a lady at church that she looked radiant that day
10) June 28, 2011 – said “Good Morning” with a great big smile to a pruny-faced woman with a scowl on the elevator, then cheerfully asked her how she was doing (she smiled :o))
11) June 28, 2011 – took out the trash for Brandon. This is usually his chore, but he was so exhausted from the day’s events he forgot. Instead of nagging him, I did it myself.
12) June 29, 2011 – talked with a troubled teen girl at Deeper Youth about overcoming obstacles and swapped cell numbers and offered to be available any time of day by text or phone if she needed anyone to talk to, joke with, or pray with.
13) June 30, 2011 – left my change in the vending machine in the office building for the next person to use. It was only a quarter, but I would be excited if I found it!
14) July 2, 2011 – tipped the pizza guy $10.00
15) July 3, 2011 – photographed the entire July 4th performance at church for the choir director who worked tirelessly to put it all together...it was such a great service
16) July 3, 2011 – prayed with a friend who needed peace
17) July 4, 2011 – let an anxious man skip in the checkout line during the July 4th last minute grocery rush
18) July 4, 2011 – brought fresh flowers to a friend
19) July 4, 2011 – carried my neighbor’s dog to their house when I found him wandering loose in my yard
20) July 5, 2011 – picked up my sister on her lunch break and treated her to her favorite restaurant
21) July 7, 2011 – offered to help carry some bags for a lady in the elevator of my work building
22) July 8, 2011 – did a party photo shoot and donated the income to church youth group to sponsor a teen to go to camp
23) July 9, 2011 – let a guy go in front of me in the middle of bumper to bumper construction chaos on I-35 in Austin
24) July 10, 2011 – drove 20 miles out of my way to drop my sister off at home so her husband would not have to drive to Alexandria to pick her up at 10pm
25) July 12, 2011 – held open a door for a restaurant employee who was unloading a van full of produce
26) July 12, 2011 – thanked a uniformed soldier in the restaurant checkout for his service to our country
27) July 13, 2011 – held the elevator for someone running to catch it
28) July 13, 2011 – passed out fliers for a fundraiser to help an associate and his family going through difficulty with illness
29) July 14, 2011 – sent an anonymous fax to an associate who was having a rough day that said “You are AWESOME!”
30) July 14, 2011 – attended a wake for the grandmother of one of the teens at my church to show support for her and her family
31) July 14, 2011 – Picked up dinner and delivered to the home of a friend who has a newborn and toddler and was stranded without the help of her husband for the evening
32) July 16, 2011 – Gave a friend a place to stay for a few weeks until her next move.
33) July 17, 2011 – Thanked my pastor for delivering the best sermon I’ve ever heard
34) July 17, 2011 – Brought fresh flowers in vases and a vegetable tray to the house warming party for my cousin
35) July 20, 2011 – Made a donation at a bake sale for an associate fighting cancer
36) July 20, 2011 – Encouraged a friend and prayed for her strength through difficult circumstances
37) July 21, 2011 – Carried the Fed Ex packages down for the secretary so she would have one less task for that day
38) July 22, 2011 – Gave a ride to a lady carrying several bags of groceries walking down the road.
39) July 23, 2011 – Helped my mom’s friend fill out some insurance claim forms
40) July 24, 2011 – Grabbed a toddler before he fell from a grocery cart while his mom’s back was turned
41) July 25, 2011 – Picked up lunch for a friend
42) July 26, 2011 – Called a colleague and complimented her on a fantastic ad she had created in the paper
43) July 26, 2011 – Wrote an encouraging note to a friend’s daughter who is struggling with major life decisions.
44) July 27, 2011 – Dog sat for a neighbor while she chased her other dog down the block
45) July 30, 2011 – Watered my neighbor’s front lawn
46) July 30, 2011 – Donated $1 for a Food Bank Backpack drive at my bank
47) August 1, 2011 – Met the mailman at my mailbox with an ice cold bottled water on a day when the temp reached 104 degrees before 2pm
48) August 3, 2011 – Paid my lawn guy an extra $10 to edge my elderly neighbor’s from lawn
49) August 4, 2011 – Showed up to a friend’s speaking engagement to show moral support.
50) August 5, 2011 – Paid for the car behind mine at the coffee shop drive thru
51) August 5, 2011 – Helped clear dishes after a gathering to which I was a guest
52) August 5, 2011 – Didn’t nag my son about being lazy, just let him enjoy his “relaxation” day
53) August 6, 2011 – Picked up a few groceries for my mom to save her the trip
54) August 7, 2011 – Edited a friend’s photo to glam it up so she could give a framed copy as a gift to her dad
55) August 9, 2011 – Helped a lady at the office building push a large cart from the elevator to a conference room
56) August 11, 2011 – Hugged an acquaintance who looked like he needed one
57) August 12, 2011 – Bought a candy bar for a kid who was in line before me at the drugstore and did not have enough change
58) August 13, 2011 – Helped a stock boy pick up some boxes he knocked down in the aisle at the store
59) August 14, 2011 – Shared my Bible in church with a young man who did not have one of his own.
60) August 14, 2011 – Did a free engagement photo shoot for a couple on a super tight wedding budget
61) August 16, 2011 – Offered my jumper cables to someone in the parking lot who was stranded
62) August 16, 2011 – Attended an estate planning meeting for my parents and a few of their friends to help answer any questions they had
63) August 17, 2011 – Let a kid in a hurry cut in front of me in a line at the gas station
64) August 18, 2011 – Gave an acquaintance a ride to the car repair shop
65) August 18, 2011 – Told a soldier in uniform “Thank you for your service to our country” (I know, I’ve done this before, but it never gets old)
66) August 19, 2011 – Helped a friend rearrange and organize her closet
67) August 21, 2011 – Dog sat for a friend
68) August 22, 2011 – Said good morning with a smile to the grouch from the 3rd floor
69) August 22, 2011 – Picked up an empty bottle left in front of my office building
70) August 25, 2011 – dropped my change in a donation jar at checkout
71) August 27, 2011 – Helped a friend with her homework
72) August 28, 2011 – Helped Steele’s classmate with campaign slogans for school
73) August 29, 2011 – Helped Steele and his classmate hang campaign posters for school
74) August 31, 2011 – Carried an older woman’s bag for her so she could have an easier time climbing the 3 flights of stairs in our building
75) September 1, 2011 – Brought a friend a cupcake for her birthday
76) September 3, 2011 – Tipped an elderly waitress who wasn’t serving my table, but had 2 tables move to a different area because she was too slow
77) September 3, 2011 – showed a woman how to work the gas pump with her discount card
78) September 4, 2011 – brought a brownie to my next door neighbor
79) September 5, 2011 – helped a coworker work through a stack of busy work
80) September 8, 2011 – Prayed with a friend who needed courage
81) September 8, 2011 – Called an old client to wish them a happy birthday
82) September 9, 2011 – helped a friend move
83) September 10, 2011 – helped a youth with his school project
84) September 11, 2011 – gave a hug to an acquaintance having a difficult time with 9-11 remembrance
85) September 12, 2011 – bought a kid a soda when his money got eaten in the vending machine
86) September 13, 2011 – told a store manager about impeccable customer service which I had received from his employee
87) September 15, 2011 – donated clothes to a family who had lost everything in a fire the night before
88) September 16, 2011 – Gave a few dollars to someone who came up short at the register in front of me
89) September 17, 2011 – took photos for an acquaintance who needed a portfolio
90) September 18, 2011 – Gave a stranded single mom a ride to church
91) September 19, 2011 – held open a door for an elderly man carrying boxes
92) September 21, 2011 – thanked a police officer for his service to our community
93) September 23, 2011 – forgave someone who had wronged me and offered to help her with a project
94) September 24, 2011 – Texted a warm birthday greeting to someone who had wronged me, but needed a friend
95) September 24, 2011 – Notarized a document for my mom’s friend for free
96) September 24, 2011 – Smiled and waved at the stranger staring me down in the street
97) September 25, 2011 – let someone in the parking lot borrow my jumper cables to charge his battery
98) September 27, 2011 – listened to a friend who needed to vent
99) September 28, 2011 – gave two of my concert tickets to a single mom who wanted to take her teen son, but couldn’t afford it
100) September 29, 2011 – Complimented a woman despite her rude demeanor
101) October 1, 2011 – told my sister how beautifully radiant she was on her wedding day
102) October 2, 2011 – Stopped on the corner and gave a homeless woman the power bar, apple, and bottled water I had in my bag
103) October 4, 2011 – Brought lunch to my dad on my lunch break
104) October 5, 2011 – wrote a letter of recommendation for a young man looking for a job
105) October 7, 2011 – Gave someone who couldn’t afford it a ticket to a Christian concert
106) October 8, 2011 – Sent a smiley “just because” card to an associate
107) October 8, 2011 – collected abandoned carts surrounding the car next to me and moved them to the cart return
108) October 8, 2011 – helped a lady at the mall decide which jeans to buy her daughter
109) October 12, 2011 – shared a list of applicable scriptures to a friend facing an obstacle
110) October 14, 2011 – told my boss how much I appreciate working for him
111) October 15, 2011 – cooked my son his favorite meal
112) October 15, 2011 – babysat for a couple hours for a single mom so she could go grocery shopping in peace
113) October 19, 2011 – complimented a stranger in the elevator
114) October 22, 2011 – Dropped off bags of board games to local shelter
115) October 23, 2011 – gave a piece of gum to the person next to me in church
116) October 24, 2011 – sent a thank you note to a few friends who had done nothing more than be good friends to me
117) October 27, 2011 – told a drive-thru worker how much I appreciated their pleasant demeanor
118) October 29, 2011 – donated cookies to a bake sale
119) October 29, 2011 – left a silly smiley sticker on a shopping cart
120) October 31, 2011 – volunteered at the harvest festival
121) November 2, 2011 – told a coworker how much I appreciate her
122) November 4, 2011 – introduced myself to someone in the elevator I see every day but rarely speak to
123) November 5, 2011 – donated clothes to Goodwill
124) November 5, 2011 – picked up a friends kids from practice and gave them a ride home
125) November 8, 2011 – Helped find a sponsor for a struggling artist
126) November 9, 2011 – Gave an old friend who was going through a depression a pep talk and prayer to lift her up
127) November 16, 2011 – Dropped off food to a homeless vet and offered him a ride to the nearest shelter.
128) November 17, 2011 – picked up some litter outside the office building
129) November 18, 2011 – made this screaming toddler in the line ahead of me laugh by acting like a fool
130) November 19, 2011 – complimented a store employee for being so helpful and informative
131) November 21, 2011 – helped my neighbor catch her escaped dog
132) November 22, 2011 – helped my neighbor catch her escaped dog again
133) November 23, 2011 – made cupcakes for a friend
134) November 24, 2011 – invited a single friend with nowhere to go to have thanksgiving with my family
135) November 24, 2011 – told each family member how thankful I am for them and why
136) November 29, 2011 – Brought homemade turkey soup to work for my boss’ family
137) November 30, 2011 – Delivered homemade turkey soup to a friend sick at home
138) December 2, 2011 – Brought a cup of coffee to the Salvation Army bell ringer at Kroger
139) December 2, 2011 – Put some money in the Salvation Army bucket
140) December 3, 2011 – told my mom she made the best pansit ever in the world!
141) December 4, 2011 – gave a huge tip to the grocery bagger who seemed to be in a slump
142) December 6, 2011 – Anonymously left Christmas greeting cards on a few neighborhood doorsteps
143) December 6, 2011 – Gave 2 of my favorite books to a friend who needed guidance
144) December 7, 2011 – helped a teen with ideas for a writing project for school
145) December 8, 2011 – Replaced the roll of toilet paper in the restroom of our office building
146) December 9, 2011 – Left a Christmas card with a coffee voucher in it for my mailman
147) December 9, 2011 – made the plumber a glass of iced tea while he worked in my home
148) December 10, 2011 – called to check on the welfare of an old friend I hadn’t seen in a very long time
149) December 14, 2011 – told a teen’s mom what a wonderful, polite, and intelligent young lady she was
150) December 15, 2011 – Let another shopper go ahead of me in the long checkout line because her baby was frustrated
151) December 16, 2011 – Brought donated canned goods to the food bank
152) December 18, 2011 – greeted the security guard at a store and wished him a blessed day
153) December 18, 2011 – gave my unused coupon to the lady in line behind me who was purchasing the same item
154) December 19, 2011 – held the elevator door for someone running behind
155) December 20, 2011 – invited a friend over for dinner who was alone for the evening
156) December 21, 2011 – Brought hot chicken and dumplings for dinner to youth pastors after a long night at youth service
157) December 22, 2011 – Gave directions to a man driving around my neighborhood lost
158) December 22, 2011 – Dropped off flowers to my friend’s grandmother in the nursing home near where I live
159) December 23, 2011 – let a car merge in front of me during a traffic jam
160) December 24, 2011 – Volunteered to work the youth group fundraiser to give some of the others time with their families on Christmas Eve
161) December 24, 2011 – Bought Coffee for all the fundraiser volunteers braving the cold that day
162) December 26, 2011 – Smiled and said good morning to everyone in line at the coffee shop
163) December 29, 2011 – Bought burgers for the afternoon volunteers
164) December 29, 2011 – Took over working the fundraiser booth so the youth coordinator could have an evening off
165) December 30, 2011 – Put a quarter in someone’s expired parking meter
166) December 31, 2012 – Paid the toll for the car behind me on the westbank toll bridge
167) January 1, 2012 – Cleaned up my friend’s home who let me stay for the weekend while he was out of town
168) January 2, 2012 – Helped a friend do 6 loads of laundry
169) January 2, 2012 – Helped a neighborhood lady carry in her groceries
170) January 4, 2012 – Cooked dinner for a friend at home recovering from major surgery
171) January 5, 2012 – listened to and encouraged a friend who was having a difficult time in her relationship
172) January 6, 2012 – sent an encouragement email to a client having a rough week
173) January 9, 2012 – shared my umbrella with a lady in the parking lot to help shield her baby from the rain
174) January 9, 2012 – Waited to allow the cart attendant to push the carts across the lane in the rain
175) January 9, 2012 – Used my free coffee at Starbucks to pay for the lady in line behind me
