free – Page 2 – Tamara Letter

Today as I was waiting in line at Kroger to purchase flowers for my nieces’ dance recital, the gal waiting behind me struck up a conversation. It always amazes me how different people are in this world. Some individuals won’t even make eye contact with a stranger, much less speak to them. Others, like myself, think nothing of chatting with someone they’ve never met (and probably will never see again.)

If someone had observed us, you might have thought we were acquaintances. Co-workers. Maybe even friends. We chatted about discounted flowers. She was buying fresh flowers for her mom’s grave, but it wasn’t a somber occasion, just a matter-of-fact statement of what she was planning to do. “I promised my mom I would NEVER bring her fake flowers… I just can’t disrespect her wishes.” We talked about the weather. Other grocery stores. All of a sudden, my vision moved from her face to her enlarged belly, peeking below the bouquet of flowers she held in her hands. “Oh my goodness – you’re pregnant!” I exclaimed, stating the obvious. A small-boned lady with gorgeously straightened blond hair (can you hear the underlying strains of envy in my description of her beauty? Ha!), it was funny that I had completely missed the undeniable shape of a baby belly facing me. She laughed at my surprise as I added, “Happy belated Mother’s Day!” (remembering the joy one of my pregnant friends received when a complete stranger said the same to her.)

All of a sudden, it was my turn to have my flowers arranged and wrapped. I stepped to the side and motioned for the mom-to-be to go ahead of me in line. “Are you sure?” she asked. “Of course! I have more flowers than you and lots of time. You go ahead!” We continued our conversation, talking about her pregnancy. I learned that she was due in September, she was having a boy, and her other son was born 11 years ago. “I was hoping for a girl, but…” Her weak smile couldn’t hide the completion of her sentence. Even though I have been blessed with a daughter, I could empathize with the sentiment she dared not speak.

“Awww, you know what that means… you’re going to be blessed with AMAZING daughters-in-law!” Her smile brightened a bit and I leaned towards her and whispered, “And just WAIT until you meet your granddaughters… you will be able to spoil them to death with no guilt whatsoever!!” She laughed at my premonition, her bright smile shining once again. As she gathered her finished flowers, she turned to me and said, “You know, I never thought about it that way, but you just might be right!” I smiled back and our exchange was done.

And I never even asked her name.

Today’s Random Act of Kindness is dedicated to Allison Wyatt, age 6, who “delighted in showing people how much she cared.” In a statement to People magazine, her parents said, “Allison made the world a better place… she would often surprise us with random acts of kindness.” Maybe the gal I met today will have a daughter-in-law or a granddaughter just like Allison. We could always use a little more brightness in this dark world.

I didn’t get a chance to take a photo of the mom-to-be, so here’s a photo of the flowers I bought instead, lol.

Be blessed dear friends and keep passing along the joy!

#26acts

Random Act of Kindness #12 of #26acts

May 22, 2013 Tamara Letter

Where do I even begin?

I have tried to write this post several times over the past 72 hours to no avail. It seems with each RAK I complete, more madness, more sadness enters this world. I find it very difficult to share the simplest of blessings, overwhelmed by the grief of tragedy and loss. On Sunday, I completed RAK #12 of #26 acts. Nothing big, just a little show of kindness that blessed a stranger. On Monday I heard about the devastating tornado in Oklahoma that obliterated an entire town, including an elementary school. How could I possibly write about my RAK… something so basic, so “no big deal” in the face of such destruction and shock?

On Tuesday I received a post notification written by the husband of a sweet friend of mine, detailing the impending passing of his wife from this life to the next. Mel, just a few years older than me, was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer eight months ago, the same month I underwent testing for breast cancer. Today she passed away.

Why? How? Why? The questions circle in an everlasting turnabout, stuck in my mind. Why do bad things have to happen? How can anything I do possibly make a difference? Why would anyone want to take the time to read my little RAKs when there are so many other things to ponder in this world?

And yet RAKs do make a difference. And you do read my posts. Maybe because we know there is no answer to question number one.

It’s funny in a way how God speaks to me sometimes. Maybe you are not a believer in God, but I am. I hear his voice on my heart in the most unassuming situations. Right before learning about the tornados on Monday, I discovered this video on You Tube. (You can skip through the commercial in the beginning after a few seconds). I held it together until I realized it was all focused in a hospital and that’s where my dying friend was spending her final hours. When the words “Just signed DNR” appeared on the screen, I was done. I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. Then later that night, I heard about the tornado. More tears.

This morning, after reading about my friend’s passing, I saw this quote in my FB newsfeed:

I had to laugh. It is EXACTLY how I would expect Mel to respond had I made the statement to her. Kindness is ALWAYS a big deal!! No matter how small it may seem in your eyes, it’s a big deal to someone else. I like to think it’s a big deal to God, too. Aren’t we commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves?

So that realization is what has pulled me out of my blog post slump. Kindness matters.

Random Act of Kindness #12 is a simple act, completely random, and nothing more than being kind to a stranger. We were eating at a serve-yourself style pizza restaurant following my daughter’s dance recital. As I was making my salad, I noticed an eldery woman with beautiful white hair and cane pushing her tray near mine. She was moving slowly, carefully, but despite her best intentions, the tray wobbled and her empty water cup fell right into the heap of spaghetti sauce she had placed on her spaghetti. Without a moment’s hesitation, I reached over and grabbed the cup off her tray. “Let me clean this off for you!” I walked away towards the drink counter to grab some napkins when another simple thought spoke to my heart. “Fill her cup.” I returned to the lady with her now cleaned cup, but instead of placing it on her tray, I asked what kind of drink she wanted. “I will fill it for you!” She smiled and spoke gently, “Water, please.”

When I returned to her in the line, she was struggling to balance her cane and her tray while reaching across to maneuver a slice of pizza off the counter. Glancing down, I realized she never grabbed an empty plate! (The plate on her tray was completely filled with spaghetti and sauce.) Instinctively I ran to the end of the line, grabbed a plate and placed it right underneath the gooey pizza, mere moments before it slid off the unbalanced spatula. “Oh my! I didn’t even think about a plate!” she exclaimed as I breathed as sigh of relief. (THAT could have been a mess!)

I laughed a little, then grabbed her tray. “Do you want more pizza or are you ready to sit? I can carry your tray for you!” She was completely shocked, taking several seconds to process what I had just asked. “Are you sure you don’t mind? That’s very kind of you.” She pointed to the table where her family was sitting and I walked with her as she hobbled with her cane. “Thank you! Thank you so much! So sweet.” (Below is a photo I took of her at her table a little bit later.)

As I turned to make my way back to the salad bar (I had simply left my salad plate right there in the line, lol), I caught the eye of my daughter who had witnessed the entire event. In the brief moment of connection, her smile was simply an extension of my own, radiating the joy of simple kindness.

This RAK is dedicated to Madeleine Hsu, age 6, who like my daughter was “a shy little girl who always seemed to have a smile on her face.” My dear friend Mel had a smile that radiated, too. I hope Madeleine’s family can find comfort in knowing that even the smallest acts of kindness are being done in her memory.

Share the gift of love with others. Our time here is brief, dear friends, but we truly can make a difference.

#26acts

Random Act of Kindness #11 of #26acts – Happy Mother’s Day

May 12, 2013 Tamara Letter

Today I had the immeasurable joy of celebrating Mother’s Day by passing along a Random Act of Kindness given to me. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that I completed 40 random acts in celebration of my 40th birthday, then began a renewed purpose of blessing others in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. My first act of kindness in this section was leaving smiley faced balloons in a local park, one of which was chosen by an autistic child and his dad. After visiting my blog and reading my story, the boy’s mom was so touched by this mission that she emailed me and donated a $25 gift card so I could in turn bless someone else.

Ironically, and unbeknownst to us at the time, her son and my son attend the same daycare center. Occasionally I pass her as we are picking up our boys and I am always greeted with a radiating smile. A few weeks ago I told her I was saving her gift card for a special day – Mother’s Day – and she told me that was one of her MOST favorite holidays of all. How perfect!

Today after visiting my own mother, I headed out to T.G.I.Friday’s. I wasn’t planning to stay and eat, I simply wanted to walk in and bless another mom.

The waitress was inquisitive, so I explained my purpose and asked if she knew of any patrons who might benefit from a free dinner in celebration of Mother’s Day. She pointed to a corner table to my right which included a mom and her young daughter, finishing their meal.

I walked to the table, introduced myself, and briefly explained my purpose as I slid the gift card across the table.

She seemed surprised, but very appreciative of the unexpected gift. What a joy it was to bless a complete stranger in such a huge way on Mother’s Day!

There was a moment, however, on my way back home where my joy turned a bit melancholy as I realized there are 26 moms out there whose hearts are breaking today, the first Mother’s Day without their treasured child. I simply cannot imagine the pain they are reliving today. This random act of kindness may not ease the ache in their souls, but it’s the least I can do to keep alive the memories of those lost.

Today’s random act of kindness is dedicated to Anne Marie Murphey, age 52. Anne Marie was a special education teacher at Sandy Hook and was found that fateful day with her body wrapped around her student, trying everything in her power to shield him from the inevitable. Friends and family described her as very motherly, always showing her students love and kindness. I can close my eyes and almost imagine her wrapping her arms around all the tiny children who made their way into heaven that morning.

Be blessed my friends. Take a moment to thank your mom. If you have children of your own, give them an extra squeeze tonight and cherish the small moments you share with them. We are not guaranteed a single day more here on this earth; treasure the time you have with those you love.

Happy Mother’s Day!

#26acts, Blessing Others

Random Act of Kindness #7 of #26acts

April 18, 2013 Tamara Letter

Ever had a day where the weather was so beautiful, so perfect, you wanted to just freeze time forever? We’ve had several days like that around here recently. This past weekend I couldn’t wait to visit one of my favorite places, Maymont Park. Nothing relaxes me more than taking a stroll through that park. Hundreds of acres of rolling hills, farm animals, trails and more. They even have bears and a waterfall nestled on the grounds!

I decided to do another random act of kindness by gathering some activity books and pencils I had been saving from a Target clearance sale a few months ago. I thought again of those precious lives lost at Sandy Hook and one little face popped into my mind. Emilie. A sweet blond headed cherub who shared the same name as my sister, although spelled a different way. I remembered reading about her, how she loved anything to do with art, especially making handmade cards. That, of course, made me think of my own daughter who started her own card making business at the age of 13. Without a moment’s hesitation, I knew today’s RAK would be dedicated to Emilie.

We gathered our things to have a picnic at the park then headed towards Maymont. Traffic was light, the breeze was blowing… I could not have asked for a more beautiful day. Upon our arrival, we found a nice, shady spot to set up our picnic lunch, near the iron statues of children playing on a wooden log.

It was a busy day in the park with many families enjoying the gorgeous weather. As I made my way towards the statue, I knew it would be a perfect place to leave my bucket of activity books as children were always climbing and playing in that spot.

As I made my way back to our picnic, a woman called out to me from across the grass. “Are those books free? The ones you just left right there?” I was already grinning. “Yep! Help yourself! Enjoy!” Immediately two little children came running past me, activity books already in hand. “Look what I found! And it came with a sharpened pencil, too!” (See – those little details DO make a difference!)

All of a sudden it was if a magnet was placed on the side of that statue. Children, parents, even a few grandparents made their way to see what all the fuss was about. We simply sat on our blanket and watched with glee, imagining how Emilie would feel to know her RAK brought so much joy to others. I broke my trance for a moment and captured a photo of a dad flipping through one of the books with his son (see below). Simply precious!

Then, as our picnic was winding down with full bellies and happy hearts, I saw a family of three approaching our blanket. Lo and behold, it was my sister, Emily! I couldn’t believe it! I had no idea she would be at Maymont that day and she was just as surprised to see me. But I treasured the surprise (a.k.a. divine intervention and perfect timing) and spent the next few hours soaking up the rays of sisterhood as we walked the park together with our families.

(Our “babies” are 8 days apart in age. They were so sweet walking through Maymont hand in hand!)

With the acts of terror, violence, and despair we have experienced in only four days since our picnic (Boston marathon bombing, ricin laced letters to government officials, explosion at the Texas plant, even a scrawled hate message on a high school bathroom door in a neighboring school district), it makes me once again dig deeper to share peace and joy. I know my simple acts of kindness may not change the landscape of hatred that fights to cover our nation and our world, but I still believe with all my heart that even one random act of kindness can change a life forever. Who am I to decide which life is changed? I simply act on the whispers of my heart.

This act of kindness is dedicated to Emilie Parker, age 6. May her family find comfort in knowing her legacy lives on in others.

40th Birthday Project Details

Random Act of Kindness #33

November 25, 2012 Tamara Letter

Today’s Random Act of Kindness is a direct response to a plea posted on Facebook:

“My dear Facebook friends, an old friend of mine has a sister that lost her whole house last night to a fire. She has 3 young girls aged 7, 2, and 10 months. I can store anything you can donate at my house. Just leave it on my front porch. Thank you so much to those of you who can contribute.”

And this, my friends, is one of the many reasons I love social media. As soon as I saw my friend make a comment on this post, I felt that all familiar tug on my heart and knew I had to help. No, I didn’t know the family whose house had burned down. In fact, I didn’t even know the gal who posted the plea (but she is a friend of a friend, so she is important!)

It’s interesting how these things happen sometimes. I’m always amazed how in the face of tragedy, God has prompted me to look through my home and out of nowhere I suddenly “discover” all these things that could help someone else. I immediately thought of the bathroom set sitting on the top of my closet shelf: shower curtain, shower hooks, trash can, fish decorations, a new shower sponge with two unopened bottles of bath wash. I kept meaning to list it on Craigslist, but… well… God had other plans! Then I opened my linen closet. I immediately spotted the flowered twin sheets from when my daughter used to have a twin sized bed. Oh! Her comforter! That could be given away, too! With each blink of an eye it seemed my closet had become a donation warehouse of sorts. Towels. Washcloths. Curtains. I barely had all the items stuffed into a bag when it occurred to me that all those little girls would need toys. And books. And crayons. Markers. Activity books. Coloring books. Right now, those sweet little girls needed a distraction for the loss of all their possessions. I found a stuffed animal for each of the children so they would have something to snuggle with when they went to sleep, wherever that may now be. I even found a purse of my daughter’s filled with play jewelry. (Every little girl needs play jewelry!) With each item I gathered, I prayed for this family, that through a simple Facebook plea all their needs would be met.

I checked back on Facebook to find more details posted about needs: Mom wore a size 3-5 pants, small tops, size 8 shoes. Right there I got chill bumps. I wear a size 4! Perfect! I went into my closet and made two outfits of sweaters and pants, then threw in another sweater and a few shirts. (As many of you know, I keep a pretty “bare bones” closet – if I haven’t worn something in the past year, it doesn’t stay in my closet! Unfortunately, I had already cleaned out my closet about a month before, but I was willing to part with a few favorite outfits. :-)) I also found a long wool coat and another shorter coat for Mom. Unfortunately, I wear a size 6 shoes, so I wasn’t able to donate any footwear.

I remembered several friends who had donated items to my 40th Birthday Project: books and “Blessing Bags” (bags filled with essentials such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.) I gathered those items as well. As I was laying everything on the floor to take a photo for this blog, a small oak box caught my eye. My jewelry box. That’s when the impact of this devastation hit me. This mom had lost all her jewelry, too. I literally stopped everything as my thoughts raced ahead of my actions. No jewelry. No family heirlooms to pass down to her daughters. Gone. Everything. It was almost too much to bear, and made me think of the recent events of Hurricane Sandy and all those that had lost similar treasures.

I then did what I knew was right. I opened up my jewelry box and pulled out three of my favorite necklaces and a matching bracelet. Using a special gift bag my mom gave me on my 40th birthday, I placed the jewelry inside with a simple note:

As I made one final sweep of my closet and bedroom, my gaze landed on one final item. My absolute favorite children’s book of all time: Guess How Much I Love You. All three of my babies were rocked to sleep as infants with me reading this book to them, snuggled safely in my arms. Each time I see the book at a yard sale or consignment store, I buy it and then wait for an opportunity to bless someone else with the gift. This particular version came as a gift set with the main character of the book, a sweet little bunny. If you’ve never read this book, please do, especially if you are a parent. The story ends with my favorite storyline: “I love you all the way to the moon… and back.” Without a moment’s hesitation, I grabbed the book and bunny and jotted a note for this family, including my project business card so they could know that even in the midst of tragedy, they were loved.

Then I loaded everything in my car and dropped it off on the friend of a friend’s front porch. No one was home, so I simply left all the bags by the door.

Why do I do all these things without wanting anything in return? Because I believe showing kindness to others is the way we all should be. I would like to think that if I were ever in a predicament such as this that others would show me kindness, too. Until that time, I will continue to count my blessings and try not to take too many things for granted. 🙂

If you would like more information of this family’s needs, or how to donate, please send an email to celebratekindness@gmail.com or if you know me on FB send me a PM and I will get all the details to you. Even if you only have a few items to share, a little can add up to a lot!

Be blessed!

Blessing Others

Random Act of Kindness #32 – Black Friday BLOWOUT!

November 23, 2012 Tamara Letter

Woo-Hoo! Welcome to the wonderful world of BLACK FRIDAY! To say that I look forward to this one crazy shopping day of the year is a complete understatement. I cannot WAIT for Black Friday to arrive! I love so many things about this day: The excitement! The energy! The reduced prices! It’s the one day of the year where I am guaranteed to be child-free, can shop for 10 hours straight, spend money without worry, all the while getting the majority of the items on my Christmas list marked off. For me, Black Friday is the ultimate day of productivity.

Now I know several friends of mine will read this and roll their eyes. “Black Friday shopping? Who in their right mind would do THAT?!?” And… they’re right. It takes a really special shopper to tackle the crowds on Black Friday. But what greater opportunity is there to show kindness to others?

This year I was extra excited about Black Friday, because I was already plotting ways I could deliberately bless others on such a maddening day. The first thing I did was stop by a Starbucks. After all, shopping in and out of stores where the temperature was a frigid 29 degrees outside… one might need a little pick-me-up to make the adventure more bearable!

As I stood in line to get my tall salted caramel mocha, my gaze wandered across the yummy muffins and pastries. I immediately thought of my family members who were stuck working retail jobs on Black Friday. What types of customers would they encounter today? Would their day end in satisfaction or exasperation? I decided that a surprise treat might be just the thing to put a smile on their faces.

My first stop was JCPenney’s to surprise my cousin, Becky. It took me about 20 minutes just to find her in the sea of customers waiting in the checkout line. That’s her on the far right side – you can barely see her from the back of the line!

I snuck around the corner and slipped her Starbucks treat right as she was finishing a sale. (I would have brought her a drink, too, but I wasn’t sure if she was allowed to have one while working on the floor!)

My next stop was on the other side of town to surprise my sister, a shift supervisor at CVS. Thankfully there are Starbucks coffee shops all over the place, so I was able to grab a hot drink and a muffin to bring a smile to her day.

(Yes, she is tired. She had to be at work at 2am, following our family Thanksgiving dinner the night before. This picture was taken around 9am, almost at the end of her shift. She definitely deserved a pick-me-up!)

Back in the car, I was excited to start shopping. But first I had to get to the stores! Have you driven around on a Black Friday? Just the driving alone might send you fleeing back to the safety of your home. But I was determined to show kindness, even in my car. I smiled and waved at complete strangers, patiently allowing them to merge in front of me as they went about their way.

Almost to the local mall, I thought about families who weren’t as blessed as me to have the ability to shop on Black Friday. So many families are struggling this time of year, especially with unforseen layoffs and other monetary challenges. While adults can understand these constraints, it can be really hard on the children. I decided to make my next Random Act of Kindness focused on kids.

Entering the parking lot of a Dollar Tree, I was almost giddy with my plans. Just imagine if you were a child, entering this store with your mom, dad, or grandparent, and this is what you discovered:

Yes! I went into this store and hid three one dollar bills among different toys, all at a child’s eye level. SO MUCH FUN! I really wanted to wait and see a child discover the money, but there wasn’t a single child in the store. However, as I was headed to my car, I saw a mom with three (THREE!) children walk into the store. It was a divine setup!

I knew without a doubt that my being at that store, with that specific Random Act of Kindness, was nothing short of God showing his love to his children. It literally gave me chill bumps!

As my day progressed, I finally found myself at Kohl’s, my last store of the day. The checkout line looped down one side and around another. Unknowingly, the line I found myself waiting in led to Customer Service, not the actual checkout counter. Oh no! I had already waited in line for 20 minutes – did I have enough energy to get out of this line and start all over in the “real” checkout line? As I was pondering this dilemma, I overheard several other ladies in an animated discussion about this particular line. “Yes, it’s for Customer Service, but they are also doing regular purchases, too.” “Why on EARTH would they do that?” “I think all the lines are long so it doesn’t really matter.” “Well, it matters to me. All I have is one item to return. I wish people would just go to the regular checkout and leave this one for Customer Service.”

Yeahhhhhh… here I am, standing right in the mix of these ladies with boots, sweaters, jewelry, wrapping paper… I had so many items to purchase I was literally sliding the shoebox with my foot along the ground because I couldn’t possibly carry another item with my hands. Since I knew it would be near impossible for me to gather my items and try to start over in another line, I made a conscious decision to do something nice to the woman behind me; the woman who only had one thing left to return. I think you can tell by this photo who was enjoying this day more…

When you stand in line for over an hour just to spend money on gifts for other people… well, you have lots of time to think, listen, and learn. I’ve discovered that patience (not necessarily a strength of mine), is an essential skill for withstanding the trials of Black Friday shopping. Oh, how many times I could have lost my patience!! But what would have been the end result? Would it have gotten me closer to the finish line (a.k.a. Customer Service)? Nope. So why lose patience over something I have aboslutely NO CONTROL over? I chose to go shopping today. I chose to shop at the store with the really good sale prices and free coupons. Standing in line was simply part of the process. So why complain about it when I was here BY CHOICE?

Which brings me to my next act of kindness. Remember me mentioning doing something nice for the lady behind me? The gal who was not too happy about all the regular shoppers being in the Customer Service line when she only had one thing to return? Well, I did the only thing I could think to do to make her smile: when it was my turn at the checkout counter, I let her go before me. Because that’s what kindness is all about. 🙂

The gal behind her was now behind me. I remembered her telling a story about her grandson scratching off all the discount scratch-off coupons (thus making them invalid to use). As she was called to the register beside me to purchase her items, I quietly slid my 15% off coupon to her with my business card and a smile. She was touched by my generosity, promised to pay it forward, and agreed to take a picture for the blog. Can you see our joy for finally crossing the finish line?

But this Black Friday Random Act of Kindness BLOWOUT would not have been possible were it not for my husband and children left behind at home. Yes, this was my day to do as I pleased. But it wouldn’t be right to have this much fun and not include them. So as I left my last store, I made yet another stop at Starbucks and picked up some coffee for me and my husband and some sweet treats for the kids. It was a small gesture to say “Thanks!”, but one I knew would make them smile.

So, as you are reading stories of how horrible Black Friday is, and how mean people can be, just remember there are a FEW people out there who are truly trying to make a difference in the midst of it all. I really do love Black Friday in all its chaos and confusion. Where else can complete strangers find commonality in their craziness?

Be blessed my friends! May your holiday season be filled with peace, joy, and love wherever your travels take you!

Blessing Others

Random Act of Kindness #31

November 21, 2012 Tamara Letter

Today’s Random Act of Kindness was an easy task, but one rarely acknowledged or even noticed by others. As I was walking to my car today after a quick shopping trip at Target, I glanced across the parking lot searching for my van and voila… Not my van, but a perfect opportunity to bless someone else!

Yes, the infamous lazy man’s cart just sitting there hogging up a parking space. The irony here is that the parking lot was near empty – not like the owner of the cart had to fight through lanes and lanes of cars to get the cart back to a safe place! I actually started laughing when I saw this, because a friend of mine, Sheri, had just this week shared how she always puts unwanted carts back where they belong. I told her that she inspired me to add this to my RAK list for Black Friday, not knowing that an opportunity would present itself just a few days later!

So instead of turning a blind eye (“It’s not MY cart!”) I did the right thing and retrieved it, then returned it (in addition to my cart).

Such a simple thing to do, yet it still felt good. Now the cart won’t block someone from parking. Or prevent the lady in the white truck from putting her children in the car. It will also keep the cart from rolling in the wind and dinging someone’s car (because, folks, that’s just annoying and aggravating!!)

Be sure to check back on the blog Friday afternoon through Saturday as I am SURE I will have several Random Acts of Kindness to post from Black Friday shopping. I’m almost giddy thinking about my surprise plans!

I wish you all peace and joy as you go about your travels and special plans for Thanksgiving. Be blessed and pay it forward!

Blessing Others

Random Act of Kindness #26

November 2, 2012 Tamara Letter

I have a friend of mine who delights in reminding the world how many shopping days are left until Christmas. Do you have any friends like this? I come to find you either love ’em or hate ’em. Either way, we are reminded that the holidays are fast approaching with lists to be made, money to budget, and shopping to be done.

One afternoon when I was window shopping, a really cute dress caught my eye. Now if you know me well, you know I am a pretty thrifty shopper when it comes to spending money on myself, but I couldn’t resist trying on this dress. As I entered the dressing room, this is what I saw:

Has this ever happened to you? You enter a fitting room, only to discover piles of clothing discarded by someone else. What a mess! Ugh!

I am discovering this is becoming more and more common to find, despite the hanging racks displayed outside the doors with signs screaming, “PLACE UNWANTED CLOTHING HERE!!” Who is going to clean up this mess? Well, the sales associate, of course. That’s what they get paid for, right?

Actually, no. It is not the sales associate’s job to clean up my mess (or in this case, the mess of the gal before me.) Years ago, before I became a teacher, I was an assistant manager of a European clothing store. I can still recall the irritation I would feel at the end of an 8 hour shift (standing the entire time, minus a 30 minute lunch break) when I would check the fitting rooms one last time only to discover a mountain of clothing needing to be returned to the racks before closing. How exhausting! Why are people so rude? Can they not read the signs? Is it really THAT difficult to put a shirt back on the hanger again? How much energy does it REALLY take to pick up the clothes and lay them neatly on the folding station by the handing racks?

Although my days working retail are long gone, rest assured that I fold and put away the same amount of clothes on a weekly basis being the mom of three kids. There are some weeks where I feel like that’s ALL I do! So when I actually carve out a little time for myself to go shopping, the very LAST thing I want to see is a pile of clothing staring back at me inside a fitting room! Usually I just ignore the pile and go about my own business of trying on clothes. After all, it’s not MY issue that someone else is rude and lazy.

But who gets the short end of this stick every time? The sales associate. Which isn’t really fair either. So today when I saw this pile of discarded clothes I knew exactly what to do: show a little bit of kindness to a stranger.

So I picked up boots and folded jeans and shirts.

I buttoned coats and hung sweaters and dresses.

Then I placed the hanging items on the rack outside the fitting room door.

And placed the folded items neatly on the sales’ associate’s table (just in case she needed to refold them to look like the others on the sales floor.)

This random act of kindness took exactly 4 minutes out of my day. It wasn’t hard and it didn’t cost me a dime. I even had time to try on that cute little dress, but it was too big, so I ended up not buying it. However, I bet you can guess what I did next… I took the time to hang the dress back on its hanger (even wrapped the belt around it just like it was when I pulled it off the rack!) And though I left the store empty-handed, my heart was filled with joy knowing I had done something nice for someone else without any expectation in return.

Sometimes just being kind is reward enough!

Have a wonderful weekend, dear friends, and as you begin your holiday shopping, be on the lookout for opportunities to bless those around you. You might be surprised how good it makes you feel!

Blessing Others

Random Act of Kindness #16

September 30, 2012 Tamara Letter

If you are an avid shopper at Kohl’s you know that coupons are a big deal. First of all, they are always sending them in the mail. 15% off. 20% off. When you peel the brown sticker to reveal a 30% off coupon, it doesn’t even matter if you need anything, off to Kohl’s you go simply because you know those added discounts add up on the already reduced prices!

Yes, I do love a good Kohl’s shopping spree. In fact, it’s always my “first stop shop” for Black Friday deals the day after Thanksgiving. Best. Deals. Ever! So you can imagine how excited I was to receive the yearly “Happy Birthday to YOU!” coupon in the mail for a free $10 gift! Yay!

Of course, this year is different. I am celebrating a milestone – the big “4-0”. So when I received my birthday coupon, I knew just what to do… drive straight to Kohl’s and bless someone with kindness!

As I entered the store, I wondered to myself, “Who should I bless? There are so many people shopping here right now!” I looked around but no one had a blinking, neon sign over their head shouting, “PICK ME! PICK ME!” so I simply started walking around the store and figured I would know who to bless when the moment was right.

I rounded the corner of the ladies department and headed towards the maternity section. I immediately thought of my friend, Michele, who had just given birth to her fifth (yes fifth!) child the day before. That’s who would get my blessing! Someone with a small child! No sooner had the thought crossed my mind, I saw her. Young. Pretty. Stroller. She was the one!

As I approached the young mother, the items she had been collecting on top and around her stroller started to tumble to the ground. Picking up a bag of socks, I said, “Here you go… ” then launched into my explanation of who I was, what I was doing, and how I wanted to bless her. I explained that normally I would go shopping for my birthday, but I thought she might want to use my gift to buy something for herself, or her child… and if nothing less, just be blessed with a discount on the items she had already planned to purchase. She looked at me and said, “You’re going to make me cry!” (Which, of course, almost made ME cry!) and I simply handed her my coupons, gave her a hug, and walked out the store.

Today, September 30, 2012, is the official start to my 40th year. Please join me in my adventures and celebrate kindness in your own world by blessing someone else. If you know me on Facebook, I would love for you to post what you did in celebration of my 40th birthday. If you have a wordpress blog, please leave a comment to this post. You can email me, too, at celebratekindness@gmail.com. Come and join in on the fun! If we all do just one act of kindness today, oh what a party that could be! 🙂

Blessing Others

Random Act of Kindness #15

September 30, 2012 Tamara Letter

A few days ago a friend of mine was asking for donations for a church project where they were gathering items to share with children entering the foster care system. He listed specific items needed and I knew this would become another Random Act of Kindness. Now I know I have posted before about donating items (see Random Act of Kindness #7), but this request was near and dear to my heart for several reasons:

My dear cousin Amy (and her brother David) were foster care kids, adopted with love into our family;
My best friend Lisa adopted two of her four children from the foster care system;
My sister donated many personal care/beauty products to my Celebrate Kindness project, which I had already planned to use as “blessing bags” for anyone that needed them.

I gathered blankets, made blessing bags, and had the children choose their favorite stuffed animals to donate to the cause.

I passed along our blessings of kindness to James, and gave him my business card so he could pay it forward, too.

Little things we take for granted, such as warm blankets and cuddly stuffed animals, can absolutely make a positive impact in someone’s day. It doesn’t take much to make a child feel loved and important. What can YOU do to bless someone with kindness? Be inspired! 🙂