Kindness Reminders

Struggling with the true meaning of kindness and frustrated at the rudeness being directed towards me, I'd often wonder how I could possibly be attracting my experience. Then after realizing that I was so consumed with how people were treating me and admitted that I was self absorbed, the real meaning of being kind became clearer. It is truly about sympathy, concern and understanding of others (just like the dictionary says). Now able to "be kindness" and not expect anything in return, I get kindness in return!

I like to wear 2 string-rings. One on my left index finger and one on my thumb next to it. White, blue and black tied in the duo style are my favorites. The reminder meanings behind each of these colors blend together so well.

I read a blog post yesterday from Sherry at Daily Spiritual Tools that I wanted to share. Her blog is about offering guidance to help navigate life's journey. On the subject of gratitude, she uses a reminder note taped to her fridge as an example of how our experience is dictated by the way we label a situation.

She wrote:
"I am grateful for the chores that need doing; it means that I have a home. I am grateful for the piles of laundry that I never seem to finish; it means that my loved ones are close by. I am grateful for the big heating bills; it means that I get to be warm. I am grateful for the parking spot that I find at the far end of the lot; it means that I am healthy enough to walk." There are quite a few more.

If you haven't heard by now, this week is Random Acts of Kindness Week according to The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. With kindness being the main focus of this blog, I couldn't let the week slip by without a post about it.

A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person for no reason other than to make people smile, or be happier. Yes, planned randomness is an oxymoron, but the intention of committing a kind act is the point here and it may be spontaneous or planned. Semantics-jeez you guys c'mon.

This news story is at least a year old but it is a perfect example of RAOK and it still makes me smile. One customer's impatience provoked another customer to react in KINDNESS and the chain reaction began.

We've just closed the String-Ring 2nd Anniversary giveaway contest with 53 great entries. Several left their vote just in the nick of time. Well it is noon, Sunday the 14th of February. So here we go!

I've made a list of the participants in the order they entered, the day of the month they entered, and then the color they liked best. The contest began January the 13th and ended February the 14th at noon.

Without further ado...

our Random.org number is: 34

1-Sarah 13th (Red)
2-Anonymous 14th (Gold)
3-Jen 14th (Red)
4-Susan 15th 3.45 (orange)

Our school district is very involved in philanthropy and today I was notified of one fund raiser I wanted to post on my blog. In order to help raise money to be donated to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief, Creekwood Middle School has chosen to sell t-shirts created by the website Threadless.com. The shirt translates to "Many hands make the load lighter." (I just love that slogan.)

Threadless.com has posted a nice story about our community that I'd like share. Just click the link.

Thomas De Santis and Ivan Tarrazo Sanchez aka Montro are the designers.
"Men anpil chay pa lou" (Translation: "Many Hands Make the Load Lighter")

I'm not comfortable with seeing anything caged in close quarters. Not a big fan of the circus, zoo, or seeing livestock in overcrowded stalls. An animal needs room to roam. Not a jail cell.

I was relieved to hear that a local kennel remodeled its boarding facility.
I've seen dogs kept in cages with little room to turn around or stand up in for days except for a morning and afternoon potty break. A dog kennel should have a climate-controlled inside that is not too big or small with easy outdoor access to a grassed backyard.

Kudos to this kennel and those like it that care about the quality of life amongst our animal friends who give us so much in return. A lot of pet boarders (much like puppy mills) are in it only for the money and the health or comfort of your pet is not considered. This particular kennel, however, is well suited for healthy boarding, socializing, and the safe care of your pet. Boycott those establishments that put profit before the welfare of your pet.

I am grateful to everyone who has left a comment about their favorite string color and what it means to them. Some of the remarks are so honest and heartfelt that I had to pause for a moment after reading them. Your thoughts from cancer survivors, those who have lost loved ones, and others struggling through difficult times, made me feel humbled. Knowing that my ring is not just used as a symbol of kindness but often as a symbol of strength has left me appreciative beyond measure. Thank you for sharing with me.

I'll close the String-Ring drawing at noon next Sunday the 14th of February, Valentine's Day. Then I'll go to random.org to get the winning number and post it. If you are not familiar with random.org, it is a service that generates a true random number after you enter the number of participants. The participants will be listed in the order they entered.

This is my favorite poem. I love it more every time I read it.

Kindness

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice

Looking for my daily shot of "feel good" I clicked over to Kind Over Matter (Kind site 1) where I found Do the Deed (Kind site 2). This site exists to celebrate and inspire a movement fueled by simple acts of kindness. You get to vote for the good deed you like the most or submit your own. I couldn't choose just one so I voted for both of these:

It Just Makes Sense (from the site)
"When you park at the grocery store, grab a cart that is in the parking lot and take it with you into the store. Come on, you need one anyway. Even if you don’t need one, push it on in. The car dent you save may be your own. If someone is nearly finished unloading their groceries into their car, offer to take the cart off their hands so they don’t have to find the cart return spot. You need one anyway! Keep paying it forward!"

Goodsearch instead of Google! (from the site)

Thank you Angela F in Bangkok, Thailand for your String-Ring purchase. As part of The Help Haiti Blog Challenge String-Ring has made a $25 donation in your name to The Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. Enjoy your ring and thanks for helping Haiti! p.s. cute photo!