"Practice
Random Kindness And Senseless Acts Of Beauty."
--phrase on a button that I own
Welcome to my Kindness area. This is where I pay tribute to the many random
kindnesses and senseless acts of beauty that have been bestowed on me.
The vast majority of these acts were done by strangers. Some were done
by nodding acquaintances, while others were done by family and friends.
Some day, I hope to be in a position where I can bestow random acts of
kindness upon strangers, family, and friends. To all of you out there,
named and unnamed, past, present, and future--thank you for all of your
kind acts and good deeds towards me!
One of the first acts of kindness that I remember was the gift of a neighbor. On my 12th birthday, he gave me a one year subscription to Smithsonian Magazine. He has no idea what that gift meant to me!
Another kindness that I remember was that of Mrs. Forsythe, my high school music teacher, who gave me my first Kitty, Pumpkin.
I remember the kind act of Mrs. Kennedy, a total stranger who lived near me. One day, on the way to work, I dropped my wallet. She found my work number in it, and called me to let me know that she'd found my wallet. She then gave me her address so that I could stop by her house to get it. When I got the wallet, everything was intact. Even the ten dollars that I had was still in there! When I offered her the money for getting my wallet back to me, she refused, saying that it was the least that she could do. We chatted for a while, and when she found out that I was an avid reader, she even gave me a few mystery novels as gifts. I still have them to this day, many years later!
I was preparing to go home to Chicago for a short vacation. On the day before I was to leave, an aide stole over one hundred dollars from me. I didn't realize it until a few hours before I was to leave for my trip. I stopped by my work, and happened to tell my colleagues what happened. The office nurse reached into her purse. "Here, take this," she said. "I wish I could give you more." It was $100.00!
When I was 19, I got my first decent job. Although I was always clean and neat for work, it was obvious that I was struggling. I made it to work every day, even in the winter, though I had no boots. One day, shortly before Christmas, my boss gave me a box. "Merry Christmas from all of us", he said. Inside were a pair of very expensive fur-lined boots that he and my co-workers had pooled their money to buy for me!
One day, after a winter snowstorm, I was going to a friend's house. I was having trouble crossing the street, as it was difficult to push my wheelchair through the snow. A man parked his car, and ran over to help. He then offered me a ride to my destination, which I gratefully accepted. When we got to my friend's house, he gave me ten dollars, and told me to take a cab home, instead of struggling through the snow. I was so grateful that I did indeed take a cab home, and though the fare was only about $3.50, I gave the cab driver the whole ten dollars.
I remember the kindness of the mother of a friend, who gave me thirty dollars so that I could go to the low-cost dental clinic to get an abcessed tooth removed.
A few years ago, I broke my glasses, and went to an optometrist to have them fixed. After examining my eyes, and taking a look at the glasses, he informed me that he couldn't help me, and referred me to an ophthamologist. When I went to pay for the visit, he refused, saying that since he couldn't help me, he didn't feel that it was right to accept payment.
I remember the kindness of a neighbor of my Mum's, who gave me a box of food when I had nothing in the house.
My Mum is very poor, but she always manages to give me a little money, and food each month to supplement the little that I get!
Lately, I've fallen on hard times, financially, and fell behind in my rent. My sister and my brother-in-law have gladly forked out LOTS of money to help me catch up.
I remember a kindness that was bestowed on me only last week. I had gone to the hospital, and had taken a cab home. The cab driver's name was George, and he'd given me his pager number to call if I needed a cab again. Two days later, I called him because I was going to the dentist, and I needed to get there early. When we arrived at the dentist's office, I got out my money to pay the fare. "Don't worry," he said, as he helped me into the building. "I'm not going to charge you for this." "Give me a call when you need a cab again."
I hope that you liked my Kindness page, and realize that there are still many good people in the world! I'll continue to add to this list of kindnesses and senseless acts of beauty, so keep coming back. Go home now, and see what other gems you'll find as you frolic through my house.
You
are visitor #to stop in.