What if we were able to spread kindness where ever we went? What if, by doing one act of kindness once a week, we were able to start something that the world desperately needs right now? We need love and compassion to counter act all of the fear and hatred in the world, at this moment. One act of kindness could make someones day, maybe it could be yours? Kindness tends to have a ripple effect. It starts with one act of kindness and soon it becomes many.  Will you please #helpkindnessspread.

I am fortunate enough to have a job, a home, a warm bed at night to sleep in and surrounded by people who love and support me. I don’t have much money. By the end of the month, I am carefully planning out my priorities to make sure I don’t run short. I am not complaining. I know I am fortunate. I live in a small village, which is very safe, warm and friendly. However, there is no visible poverty around me. Living in a place like this, it is very easy to get comfortable and settle into your nice little life and get caught up in your own, little problems.

I went into the city today, to do some Christmas shopping and I walked past a homeless man, asking for change. I of course didn’t have any, as usual, but I noticed his hands were full of band-aids and looked like they had been through a lot. Immediately I thought, Oh his hands look so cold, I wish I had some gloves to give him. Then I saw a drug store and decided to follow through on my instinct and buy him some gloves.  I walked back to where he was crouched in the street and I crouched down and I handed him the gloves as I warmly, touched his hand.”It is going to get cold and I hope these will keep your hands warm” I said. He looked at me with the biggest smile and he said ” Oh thank you, so much. I really need them! You look around and whenever you see someone wearing these gloves, it will be me wearing them, because I love them.” As I stood up I said, “You’re Welcome” while I was walking away, an overwhelming feeling of gratitude came over me.  Tears starting rolling down my face. I couldn’t forget his eyes and his smile. He was so gentle and appreciative. I could have just as easily walked on by and not given him a second look or thought. Many times I have thought of doing such things, but I didn’t have time or money, or it simply wasn’t convenient. Something in him sparked my compassion and I am so glad it did.

With the world being at War and Isis out of control, I have had a very heavy heart for the fate of our humanity. I wish peace for every living being on this planet, however,  since the recent attacks on Paris I have been feeling like hope, is near impossible.  How do you change the political ways of the world, or change the way they think, and not jump to war as a solution to conflict? How do you defend yourself against  groups who have no logic to their agenda and don’t care if they die?

Today, I realized that what is happening in the world is out of my control, but I could help people in the place where I live. Maybe my small acts of kindness can trigger other small acts of kindness and together we can make a larger impact on the hearts and minds of the people in our communities. The “Ripple Effect” of those kind acts could reach far and wide and maybe help the world. My goal is to start with the homeless in my city keep warm and feel like they are not forgotten. It is not just about mittens or socks, but about compassion and love. Yes everyone deserves to be warm, but they also need to feel love and compassion. No longer will I walk past a homeless person without giving them a warm smile or wishing them a good day. I hope in my doing that, they will feel, in that moment that someone sees them and cares about them.

My idea came to me too late in the season, to provide warm mittens this year, as winter was almost over by the time I was able to get some items together. Due to finances, I was relying on thrift store finds and donations from others. It wasn’t as easy as I thought. thrift stores are still pretty pricey, when you want to buy multiple pairs of gloves and where I was looking, they didn’t have a great supply of warm mittens. People were not donating like I thought they would. I asked my children to buy me warm mittens for my birthday, so I could add them to my collection and I voiced to my boyfriend,my disappointed, that people were not so quick to help gather supplies. He surprised me one day after he and his son had been out shopping, with a bundle of brand new gloves and a few that he had found at a thrift store. I was moved to tears at this thoughtful gesture.

However, I still have some gathering to do,  so I have decided to use this year to collect coats, mittens and hats and late next Fall, as the weather starts to get colder, I will deliver them to as many people as I can.  Sadly, there are many in my city, as there are in so many other cities. Please, if this story touched your heart in anyway, I ask that you do the same in your community.  If you can’t afford to buy them, go through your own stuff and see what you don’t need. Ask your neighbours, churches, workplaces or friends to pitch in, or go to a thrift store and purchase them. I found that the supply at thrift stores increased greatly as the cold weather starts to warm up. If you plan ahead, you can buy many gloves, new and used, at the end of the season for a greatly reduced price. You don’t need to have a lot of money to help someone out. A large portion of this year, I was unemployed. Kindness if free. Reaching out to people and asking for help for your cause is also free.

Maybe one act of kindness could grow into a movement, or maybe it will just make an individual smile and feel loved, for a moment. Either way, its a win, win situation. Will you #helpkindnessspread in your community?

I would love to hear from you and how you decided to #helpkindnessspread. Please email me at aninspirationalplace@gmail.com or you can post to my Facebook Page, or my Twitter account,  using #helpkindnessspread, to share your story and maybe inspire others.

Please don’t let a thought or idea just pass by. If you think about doing something kind, act on it. It really does pay extraordinary dividends.