Describe a moment of kindness, between you and someone else — loved one or complete stranger.
Photographers, artists, poets: show us KINDNESS.
I live my life doing little bits of kindnesses for people. I’m not bragging. It’s just the way I live my life. I try to do at least one kindness a day to somebody who crosses my path. It doesn’t matter who it is or how small the kindness is. It matters that I try to be a kind person each and every day. It’s how I want to live my life every day of my life.
So my moment of kindness is very mundane. It isn’t a spectacular thing that I’ve done. It’s a very ordinary thing But it’s a thing that I do out of love for the people that I love. These past weeks, I take my granddaughters to their jobs in the mornings. CJ has to go to work at 10:30 a.m. at the pizza restaurant so I pick her up and take her to the restaurant. Then on the days when she works the lunch shift, I take JM to her work at the fast-food restaurant. Then I pick up JM when her shift is over, and CJ calls when her shift is done and I bring each of them home again. If CJ or JM has to work at 5 p.m., I take them both at that hour and then their mother picks them up when their shifts are over. The mother does the honors on the weekends and she took CJ yesterday; my daughter took yesterday off because she had a cold. But most days I take the girls. They are working to get their drivers’ licenses but that’s a little ways off each.
I don’t mind taking them and picking them up. I’m happy to do it. They are very appreciative of the ride. Their jobs are within walking distance. CJ did walk home from work one day when I had to go to court and couldn’t pick her up, and JM walked home after dropping her paperwork off the first day. That was the good thing about these jobs. If they can’t get a job, they can walk. But it’s so hot here, that I want to drive them especially after they have had such a long day on their feet. And I have the time to take them to work and pick them up. It’s good for me to get out of the house and do errands, too.
So we all benefit from my acts of kindness. I get to spend some time with my granddaughters and they get a ride to and from work. And I get to live my life the way I think I should live it–doing things for other people.
What a lovely thing. I know you make light of offering rides, but — as you said — everyone benefits. And you are modeling how to help others to your grand-daughters. It is possible to help out in small ways. We don’t all have to be zillionaires to make a difference in other people’s lives.
I like to bake challah (symbolic bread) which is then delivered to people who are sick or alone or sad. It makes me happy to do this. I have been on the receiving end of a “Loaf of Love” and it really has made my day. Little gestures can mean the world. You rock, Maire.
Thanks, Renée. I like to think I’m modeling behavior for the girls for their lives. They are appreciative. They never fail to say thank you. We have little discussions, no matter how tired they are. I adore them. They will drive themselves eventually, but it’s really a labor of love for me right now. I’d love to get a loaf of challah. It’s great that you bake it for people. That is a lovely ministry. How beautiful, Renée.
This is why you’re one of my favorite people, young lady.