D is for GFTASD

Did you ever watch a TV show or movie when a character from another show makes an appearance? Well, yesterday was  GFTASD, a holiday started on "The Kindness of Strangers” blog  popping up right here in the ABC's of Kindness. For those of you who don't know, Give Flowers To a Stranger Day happens on the 27^th of every month and yesterday was the one year anniversary of the first ever celebration. For more in depth history of this very special holiday, take a look at "It's That Time Again...Flower's for a Stranger."

The choice was obviously daffodils or daisies, as delphiniums were quickly ruled out. Which meant either picking the daffodils from my yard since they are right in season, or buying daisies from the store. I like the idea of giving fresh picked flowers.  However,  I'm just not that adept at putting together a bouquet that looks as nice as an arrangement from a store. Floral arranging is not really in my skill set. But I thought that if I were ever going to learn, daffodils were the right starter flowers, because is close to impossible for a bunch to look bad. So daffodils it was.

With a big yellow bunch in hand, I marched into the first convenience  store I passed on my way to work and handed them to the cashier with the announcement that "it's Give Flowers to a Stranger Day!"  She said a very surprised thank you and I turned and walked out before she could ask any questions.

I haven't done the math, but I sure hope that future GFTAS days don't fall on Q or X weeks.

Doo Doo You Remember?

...when you were a kid and you stepped in IT?  Doo Doo, that is?  Please, read on with the understanding that this week's act of kindness follows last week's Contemplative Collection directly and with the understanding that this week's deed is not, as one blog follower commented last week, "for the faint of heart."

I set out on my morning dog walk with a dedication to scoop up other dog's dookie.  Bleck!  Why?  Because I do remember having the most unfortunate experience of stepping in dog poo both as youngster and as an adult.  Disgusting!  I recall having to sit down with a stick and digging it out of the nooks and crannies of my sneakers and then rinsing off the bottoms of the shoes with the hose and then having to leave them outside to dry and to make sure all the stink was gone.  Whew, what a process!  I also did this because another one of our favorite dog walks is up a bike path in the woods; a destination for many of all ages who want to get exercise, fresh air, and explore the wilds of this suburban community.  Who wants to deal with stepping in it (by now you know that to which I refer)?

So, on Tuesday morning my big fluffy dog and I set out with more dookie bags than usual.  I said to myself and the dear dog, "Come on, it's just the sort of dense fog of a morning you love to walk in!  Not quite pea soup but warm and misty.  Who could dream of a better early morning activity than bending down to dig in the dirt to pick up the dumps of other dogs?  Let's go!"  Once again I figured, if I dared to move into that contemplative mindset, being in the here and now, using all my senses... right, that was a bit halting when I considered the deed ... using all my senses to take in the whole of the morning, I could deal with it. 

Besides the fifteen times I got down to scoop other dog's doo doo I did maintain my direction towards kind thoughts as well as kind deeds.  And voila,  I was rewarded as I walked in the northerly direction up the completely unpopulated bike path before 7 a.m.  I was taken as I noticed three delicately dew filled cobwebs which pushed out like parachutes and which all faced at the very same angle with the fat side of the parachute shaped webs facing North.  The morning light, foggy, not sunny, was just right so that these intricate works of art were highlighted with the beads of moisture making them look white and perfectly symmetrical.   As I neared the bridge I saw the resident big blue heron lift off slowly and go two huge wing flaps to the other side of the inlet, just far enough away from the dog and me.  Majestic blue heron!  And in the distance on the other side of the pond I could see the down filled, green headed mallard duck maybe cruising for a dive for breakfast tasties.  Who knows?

I can say that as I delivered the four, very filled dookie bags to one of the trash bins dotting the local little league baseball diamond park, my senses were much more filled with the distinct beauties of the morning's walk than the disgusting parts of bagging doo.  I might even do it again to keep fewer from the experience of stepping in it.

And may the rest of your week be doo doo free...

 

Contemplative Collection

Because it is EARTH DAY I am writing in green.  Happy EARTH DAY!

For this week's act of kindness I was committed to doing something that cost no money.

I collected trash in a contemplative fashion.  What does that mean, exactly?  Well, I not only felt it appropriate to contribute to the Earth Day movement  in this way, but I also wanted to see how focused I could be on this mission.  This is what I did and how I attended to the actions and thoughts of the experience.

I committed to walking one of the routes my dog and I always walk.  I wanted to create more cleanliness along our normal trek because so many of my previous walks included noticing the trash, being repulsed by the recklessness of how people treat our planet, yet not picking it up.  Today I donned old garden gloves, brought a pocket full of grocery bags and off we went.  On this walk I had my head down with my eyes scanning from one side of the road to the other.  I took in the scenes of greening grass, faded crocuses, bright yellow daffodils, expanding buds on lilac bushes.  I snatched up crushed beer and soda cans, about ten to fifteen vodka nip bottles, broken glass and plastic from flower pots, car parts, a fake poinsettia blossom, a disgusting tobacco "juice" spittle bottle which once contained Gatorade (Disgusting!), heavy bolts in various places, styrofoam and papers.  I filled one bag for recycling and one bag for trash.  In my contemplative, trash collecting state, I noticed the sounds of birds everywhere along with cars.  I came upon the familiar two Scottish Terriers and their gentleman walker and gave them an explanation about why I was walking and continuously bending over in the vacant lot.  When we met up again on the other side of the block, and as I came out of a thicket with Bud cans, he said, "Well, you're doing a good deed, anyway."  I smiled and nodded.  I took in the Spring air which contained a bit of moisture and the smell of wet soil.  I noticed the small, stone, Celtic Cross in a roadside garden which was clean of trash and showing subtle signs of Spring growth.  I noted that it is Good Friday which lead me to think of Easter and Passover and reminded me of an article I read earlier in the week about how eggs have been a symbol of new life through the ages.  Passover and Easter's use of eggs are no exception.  Yes, my contemplating took me to thoughts of cracking the festively dyed eggs of Easter, and thoughts of how chicks hatch through cracking from within, and to thoughts of how skilled chefs can crack several eggs at once when creating culinary masterpieces or even simple and wholesome scrambled eggs.  Through all those thoughts, I picked up more trash and neared the end of my walk.  After sorting out the trash and placing the recycle items in their appropriate bins, I decided a nice way to conclude my Earth Day contemplation would be to plant the two hyacinth plants which were waiting to go in the ground.  The soil was quite moist and turned over nicely.  The pink and light purple plants nestled in their respective holes.   I felt quite content as this morning kindness exercise came to an end.  

May all you readers find contentment in this coming weekend.  

The Complications of Cookie Kindness

“C is for cookie and that's good enough for me.” This is a direct quote from none other than Sesame Street's Cookie Monster. And if you have any interest in hearing him sing about it click here.

It has also been said that cookies really do say kindness. That quote is not from the cookie monster but from me in my previous blog adventure The Kindness of Strangers (August 20^th). I don't want to boast, but I've been told that I make a darn good chocolate chip cookie. And I really enjoy making them for people, so it seemed obvious what the C act of kindness should be.

But alas, it's not that simple. I didn't want to bring them to work as most of my colleagues are trying to eat healthy and get in shape. It is possible that a plate of cookies appearing on the kitchen table just might be interpreted as unkind. My husband is a teacher and is on vacation this week so sending them in with him wasn't an option, although usually any contribution to the teachers lunch room is greatly appreciated. And as much as I would love to give out cookies to strangers just to be nice, I can understand how that action might be considered suspect.

So I settled on cookies for strangers, once removed so to speak. I sent my husband off to his physical therapy appointment with a fresh batch for the staff there. He has been going regularly since breaking his elbow in February and has commented frequently about how nice and helpful all the staff are. And since they are partly responsible for getting him back to working order, which includes all the chores around the house he was not able to do for a while, I am very appreciative of their efforts. Furthermore, I don't know them personally so I have no first hand knowledge about whether any of them are on a diet.  I'm going with the theory that cookies are kind and ignorance is bliss.

B Is For Husband

Well, my husband anyway, whose name is Bruce. I had no less than three people say to me “B? You should be kind to Bruce!” Not being one to disobey what appears to be a command, I complied.

Sunday I took the kids to their soccer and let Bruce stay home for the afternoon. As an added bonus, the game was in a town called Barrington. So is seemed that it was meant to be.

I packed his lunch every day this week, and did a significant chunk of his ironing (there was a time when these tasks would have been considered within my wifely job description, but that was then and this now).

On Wednesday I put the garbage and recycling out even though it is usually part of his routine. We have a fairly long driveway so this makes it that much more kind.

By Thursday, it did not seem that he noticed anything different. He said thank you for each time but didn't show any outward awareness of my amped up efforts to be kind. I was beginning to think  that I might have to ponder that age old question, similar to whether a tree falling in the forest makes a sound if no one is around to hear it, were my acts truly kind if my husband didn't notice the uptick in kindness around the household?

My worries were unfounded because on Friday he said to me “I don't know what is going on around here but it's great!” The gig was up.  I confessed that Bruce was the B of the blog. Last I heard he was thinking of changing his name to Charles.

Blogging Begins with B

...as do the words Bonfire, Bouquet, Bunnies and Bank.


Hmmmm, where am I going with this, you may be wondering. Let me share a story of my B events for this weekend and this week ahead.

On Saturday I was invited to a party. Indeed, one of the drawing forces to the party was the planned Bonfire. Who can resist a roaring fire in a large pit in the woods on an early Spring night? The night was crystal clear. The moon rose above the fire circle. The sky went from that deep early night blue to dark, dark black. The fire was hot, hot, hot! The occasion was actually to celebrate my co-author of this blog and her big, big accomplishments throughout the last year as documented in her first blog, The Kindness of Strangers. Local, avid followers gathered round the fire. One guest wrote hilarious lyrics sung to the tunes of Christmas carols. Betsy (another B word) was seen across the fire pit, laughing so hard she was crying. Another guest shared she often found herself asking through the year, “What would Betsy do?” when faced with certain potentially precarious opportunities to provide kindness. And another guest talked about the humor and enjoyment she gleaned from each entry. All in all, as we gathered round the Bonfire it was as crystal clear as the night that Betsy’s Blog was worthy of such a great celebration.

So on Sunday my inspiration to perform a kind act for a stranger was peaked. I did the obligatory grocery shopping (Betsy talked a lot about grocery stores in her first blog). It was a quick trip. I was short on time but I figured that should not stop me. Believe it or not, I was not actually thinking of my blog responsibilities as I committed to this being the time and the place to attempt to bestow kindness upon a stranger. The flowers are straight ahead as one enters the market. “Which bunches of beauties really look like the gorgeous weather outside?” I picked daisies. Granted, while they do not bloom in spring, they displayed the cheer I was seeking. Around the store my cart and I went… Suddenly the Bunnies jumped out at me -- golden, chocolate, Lindt bunnies, all in a row, and on sale, to boot! Wooo hooo! And then it dawned on me as I rolled on to my last needed items… a Bouquet and some Bunnies! B’s, both! I went through the self-check lane and asked the assistant to bestow the bouquet and bunnies upon someone who looked as though they could use some cheer. I believe I walked out with a smile on my face, maybe mostly because the bouquet and bunnies would make the blog!

Now where does the Bank fit in? This was my first idea for my B portion of this adventure because… once again Betsy’s blog inspired me to partake in a fundraising drive sponsored by the Community Food Bank. The marketing folks associated with the food bank created this awesome looking soup can with a label on it that reads "Can of Nothing" complete with nutritional food values (all at 0: 0 carbs, 0 protein, 0 fiber). There is a slit in the top like any good bank but no way to get the change out. For the past many months (since B’s blog entry) I have donated bills and change. It is filled to the brim. It is time to take it in. That will happen before the week of C’s.

There you have it… Bonfire, Bouquet, Bunnies, Bank – all a part of this blog.

Stay tuned for Betsy’s B’s…

And A is for...

Animals.

Indeed, all of Betsy's A words fit into my first ever blogging post.  Imagine that!  I'll explain.
Advocacy, Appreciation, Adoption, Acceptance, Accolades, and Amiable depict my first choice for an act, I mean, Act, of kindness because I was moved to make a donation to the state's veterinary association's Companion Animal Fund.  How did that come about?  Well, several ways.  What inspired me this week has happened more than once.  I came across a family who love love loves their animals.  One fell ill.  Unfortunately it was an illness that seemed to be serious and concerningly costly to treat.  Due to these economic times, squeezing out extra dollars for unanticipated expenses is difficult for so many.  I shared information with this family about the fund which provides assistance with veterinary expenses to families in need.  Alas, I knew that I could support this fund with a donation of my own.  A check was written.

Now, I was a religious follower of Betsy's blog for this past year.  I commented a time or two or maybe even three or more...  We had discussions about the experience.  I marveled at her ABILITY to share herself, with strangers, no less.  I thought much about my own daily actions.  I know I was shaped through her sharing.  When she asked if I would like to join in her next blogging Adventure I felt honored, really.  Now, here I am, about to share in the experience of being truly mindful about my actions.

In closing my first post, I do want to add a bit more about how all of Betsy's A words contribute to my act of donating.  You see, Betsy was responsible for helping me find the perfect dog to ADOPT way back in the early '90's.  That sweet Husky mix took her and me and many with whom we were both connected through 16 years of life's developments.  When my old sweet Husky mix moved on from this earthly life, my veterinarian donated to the Companion Animal Fund in my dog's name.  It was a wonderful tribute and so my own donation feels like a way of giving back and a way of continuing to acknowledge how rich and layerd life is.  Did not mean to get so schmaltzy ...   Hey, it's my first go at this blogging thing.  Feel free to chuckle and rib in your comments.  

And we're off to    B! 

A Is For...Alot of Things

A is for appreciation, advocacy and adoption. It is also for acceptance, accolades and amiable. I considered all these as themes for the first entry in this blog. I wanted to kick it off with something memorable, significant and meaningful. But in the end, I went old school, as in “A is for apples.”

That's right, just “apples,” the well-worn “a” word in many children's books written to teach the alphabet. I brought a bowl of apples to the office for my co-workers. Assorted apples, which makes it a double “a” act of kindness, really. Three different varieties: Granny Smith, the green ones that are tart and I can't for the life of me figure out why people like them. Gala, which are really sweet and I really like, which also explains why I don't care for the tart ones. And McIntosh.

Apples are delicious and nutritious and a perfect snack for those who are trying to eat healthy and lose weight. And that seems to be pretty much everyone who works in my office. So what kinder way to help folks move toward those goals than to leave a selection of apples with enough variety to suit everyone's taste.

When I left near the end of the day the bowl was half empty. Or half full, depending on how you look at it. I felt good about my contribution to the health and well being of my co-workers. But I do know this. Had I left a plate of something else, brownies or cookies perhaps, there would have been nothing but crumbs left by the end of the day.