Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day, and even though the weather was horrible and not befitting of a lovely first day of Spring (hello deluge, goodbye ray of sunshine), it felt good to engage in a few acts promoting kindness and generosity.
This year I decided to leave a bunch of pre-loved books in the staff room for colleagues to take and by the afternoon most of them had gone! As much as I love books, I simply no longer have storage space in my wee home in Avondale and it felt good to know that others would get pleasure from them.
I have always enjoyed being generous with others and have done so since I was quite young. I remember making things for friends and often wrote notes and letters for them too. As I got older I used to get a buzz by giving 'surprise' gifts to friends and family. I didn't want anything tangible in return, just to know they appreciated the small gesture. I truly believe the act of giving is essential for enriching the soul and enables meaningful connections between others.
On that note, yesterday I attended an event in Aotea Square called #HappyNZ whereby a big group of us participated in different acts promoting happiness. All dressed in yellow, we braved the wet and cold and thankfully were not mistaken for championing a new political party!
I went along with my sister Evy and friend Louise and initially we were a bit hesitant and shy about participating. What helped to reduce those fears was the welcoming nature of the attendees, and refreshingly they appeared reasonably young and ultra enthusiastic. In a society where youth are often seen as indulged, self-centred and materialistic, the people I met were friendly, genuine and keen to make a difference.
A few people gave out free hugs and balloons and others danced spontaneously to the music blaring on the loud speaker. Once the group had grown to a decent size, we were all issued with an Amazing Race challenge card where we invited to participate in different random acts of kindness.
Evy, Louise and I decided to work together so we made a beeline to Starbucks and bought a coffee to give away to a stranger. Louise decided to give the hot drink to a homeless man who was so grateful to receive it. Spurred on by the reaction, we gave packets of biscuits to a few other homeless people and they were both so gracious and thankful for receiving them. I know there are times when I tend I turn a blind eye to homeless people on the street and it was a timely reminder that we all have a story to tell and we can't judge people on face value.
As we were crossing the road we saw a young girl with her father so Evy decided to give her yellow flower pin to her. The look on her face was priceless... a big smile and a look of wonderment! Her father was really appreciative and he accepted our kind gesture.
By this stage, we realised this challenge wasn't as scary or daunting as we realised. The act of giving was quite simple and needn't be complicated.
I would like to personally commend Kiran Patel who organised this event. I've spoken to him several times and despite his young years, he has a well developed social consciousness. It takes courage to start something you are passionate about and I will definitely lend my support for future events. So go on. Give 'giving' a go.
Click here to find out more about the #HappyNZ movement:
http://www.hashtaghappynz.com/
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