A friend recently asked if kindness ever comes back to bite me. She was struggling with the decision to continue extending kindness to people who just weren’t playing along. She felt as if all of her efforts were being done in vain and wondered if it was worth it.
My answer was, “Yes, I’ve been bitten.”
There are times when people are ... Read More
I recently received an email from a woman who wanted to give me $1,000. No joke. She had $1,000 to give away, and she wanted to give it to me!
Every year, Bell State Bank & Trust gives their employees money to give away in a random act of kindness. This year, the business added a twist and another layer to ... Read More
Do you ever think to yourself, “I’m always nice to people, but I really don’t have the time, energy, money or (fill-in-the-blank) to go around doing random acts of kindness?”
I used to think that way. I used to think the inconvenience of doing an act of kindness just wouldn’t be worth the reward.
Well, I was wrong. The opportunity to be ... Read More
They say you shouldn’t borrow trouble from tomorrow, because today has enough worries of its own. I say you shouldn’t borrow trouble from tomorrow, because if trouble comes, so will an angel, who is just waiting for an opportunity to lend a helping hand.
I received two letters recently from people who got to witness the beauty of angels in action.
“I ... Read More
Sometimes I feel small. When I hear about huge problems like human trafficking, child abuse and global hunger, I just feel small. Those problems are like giants, they are huge. What could I possibly do that would even make a drop in the bucket?
Maybe you feel the same way. But what if we all put our one single tiny little ... Read More
My email inbox is usually filled with letters of happiness, but I got one not too long ago that broke my heart.
This poor woman, Hilary, had dealt with loss after loss, and yet she was writing to tell me about all of the kindness she was able to experience through her difficulties.
I read the email to my husband who had ... Read More
There is a gas station attached to a coffee shop in north Fargo where I like to write. It’s warm, it smells like java and fresh muffins, and there is just enough background noise to keep me on task.
The other day when I walked in, I noticed a man sitting at a table. He didn’t have anything to eat or ... Read More
The Christmas cookies are gone. The ham, roast beef or whatever you had for that special dinner is a distant memory. And yet, because donations tend to lag after the holidays, people in our community will go through the rest of this cold winter hungry.
Marv and Nancy Greenberg of Fargo didn’t realize exactly how close that reality would hit home ... Read More
Once upon a time there was a little girl with long dark hair, brown eyes that opened up to her soul and a smile that radiated throughout the room. Her name was Amanda.
Little Amanda loved to play with dolls and wear pretty dresses. Her mother couldn’t keep up with the pile of laundry that continued to grow as Amanda changed ... Read More
Many of us – including me – take our biggest blessings for granted. Not only do I overlook everyday blessings, but I am quite often ungrateful for the biggest gifts in my life.
Instead of being grateful for the ability to hear my rambunctious boys, I tell them to be quiet.
Instead of being grateful for the ability to see my daughter’s ... Read More
