As people slowly emerge from their homes and tentatively begin venturing out, I hope the care we’ve developed for each other only increases.
I’ve asked you to send in your COVID Kindness stories and there are so many ways we are seeing kindness blossom in our communities.
From Joan in Fargo: “My dear friend left a care package outside our door recently that brought a huge smile and laughter to our day!
“Included were a bouquet of colorful spring flowers, a container of homemade pheasant chili, a six-pack of toilet paper and a note describing the contents, saying everything had been packed in a sanitary environment, with gloves on, and wiped down before delivery! This act of kindness added such joy to our day, and was a reminder to me to pass on the kindness to someone else.”
From Jacki Hince: “I am a home baker and a couple weeks ago, I started making up little plates of treats to drop off at people’s houses. I set the plate down (in a sealed plastic bag), ring the doorbell and leave!
“I posted on my Facebook page so people in my area could send me a message if they wanted some. I don’t take any money for them and it’s going so well I have already started my list for next week. My goal is eight to 10 a week until this is over! That’s my contribution to COVID Kindness.”
From Eilif Brakvatne: “I work as a bagger/cashier at a local grocery store and have seen many acts of kindness since the beginning of the crisis.
“At the beginning of the crisis, a regular customer came in and purchased a small amount of groceries for himself. The rest of the things he bought (including multi-packs of toilet paper) he was giving away to those in need.
“On a busy day bagging, I saw a customer pay for the groceries of the person in front of her. I oftentimes cashier and bag the same order. A customer saw the effort I was putting forth and gave me a $5 Caribou Coffee gift card!”
From Dawn Doetkott: “A few weeks before COVID-19 began moving through our country, my husband noticed two little girls (he guesses around 5 and 7 years old) with a 10-year-old chaperone leaving something on doors in our neighborhood. The chaperone would wait on the sidewalk, the younger girls would run up to the door and the trio would be off to the next house.
“After they’d left, he checked our door and found a note taped to it. The note was folded and the outside said, ‘Open Me.’ Right now we have it on our refrigerator, and it brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it.”
There is something so beautiful that is sparked in times of distress. Some people call it grace or compassion. I like to call it kindness.
Whatever it is, it’s contagious. In a good way.
Please continue to share your stories of kindness with me at info@nicolejphillips.com. Or send a letter to Kindness is Contagious c/o Nicole J. Phillips, The Forum, 101 5th St. N., Box 2020, Fargo, ND, 58107.
