“You’ve done a lot of acts of kindness today, Mom.” I seriously cannot get anything past my 11 year old daughter.
I had just hopped back in the car with a Diet Mountain Dew that I picked up at the gas station for a neighbor.
“What do you mean, Jo?” I honestly couldn’t think of any act of kindness I had done besides the current one.
“Well, you just bought that soda for Cathy and earlier we dropped off shoes for Ashlyn and before that you took me to JoAnn’s to pick out fabric for Michelyn.”
Oh. Right.
My daughter had just cracked my code: on days when my spirits are low and my anxiety over the future is high, I start overdosing on acts of kindness. It’s like medicine to me. The more things I can do to brighten someone else’s day, the more energy and positivity I pump into my own body.
It’s like my own private form of chemo– only there are really no negative side effects. Sure, it may cost you a few bucks. And it may take up a few minutes of your perfectly timed out day. And you may get a strange look from the recipient of your kindness. But the return on your investment is priceless.
If you don’t believe me, try it. The next time life overwhelms you, send out a life-breathing email to an unsuspecting soul, or buy the stupid magnet that reminds you of a friend and deliver it to them, or pick up a soda for the lady who lives next door. Be random. Go off script. Do something no one would expect you to do. Take a risk. Be courageous in your kindness.
It’s the most healing medicine you could ever take.