I am conducting an experiment for my birthday, August 23. I have no idea how it will work. The basic idea is this: I will ask my friends to perform at least one random act of kindness as my birthday gift. I will also ask them, when they perform that act of kindness, to leave a note inviting the recipient to "pay it forward" and perform a random act of kindness for someone else. I will ask that they include this blog address on the note, and all subsequent notes, so people might come to this site and write what they have done, or what they have received from others. What a gift it would indeed be to know that people I don't even know are benefiting from my friends' generosity on my birthday!
So, if you have been the recipient of a random act of kindness, or you have passed some kindness on to someone else, please leave a comment below. And just so everyone knows: kind acts are so easy to achieve, and they needn't cost any money...just a little thoughtfulness...a book left behind on a park bench, a thank you note mailed to someone on the block who has a beautiful garden, a warm smile on the street. Other ideas: buy coffee for the person behind you in line, buy a single flower and hand it to someone on the street, hail a cab at a busy corner and give it to someone who looks frustrated (or happy), hold the door for ten people at the grocery store, offer to help someone who looks like they are carrying too much on the street, take a photo of some tourists.
I look forward to hearing from you all! Please feel free to leave your first name and location, as I have friends all over the world!
Have a wonderful day!
About Me
- Katherine Sanderlin
- New York, NY, United States
- I am an actress and a school teacher, a friend, a lover, a supporter, a mensch, a trouble-maker, a laugher, a dreamer and a worker.
This is a great idea. Maybe we should also go to Marie's Crisis on Saturday night...couldn't we arrange that please?
ReplyDeleteHello and Happy 38th Birthday Katherine!!!!! I guess I was tuned into your mind last night when I tipped a waitress $10 for my $5 dessert. I am in Pittsburgh visiting my parents this week and last night I was meeting a friend for dessert at Eat n Park (a Pittsburgh tradition). While I was waiting, I overheard a conversation that one of the Waitresses was having with another waitress. She was telling her co-worker how she has another job, but she takes the night shifts (at the restaurant) so that her tip money can help her family out.
ReplyDeleteAs fate would have it, she, Paula, ended up being our waitress. Not only was she incredibly patient with how long it took us to choose something to eat, she was SO NICE. She talked to us a little bit and totally went above and beyond. So, I decided that even though I only spent $5, I gave her a $10 tip. :-) So, I passed some kindness on to a woman who (I felt) was very kind to others. Happy Birthday Katherine! I hope you find much kindess around you this year! :-)
-Emily
Does keeping the nurses and doctors taking care of my mom well fed count? I try to bring them something yummy each time we go up to visit her...They've been so nice to us that I wanted to do something little to thank them.
ReplyDeleteAh, my sweet friends...some of you have already said you would feel uncomfortable posting your acts of kindness on this here blog, taking public credit and all. Here are some thoughts: 1) You can write about your act anonymously (below the comment box, it says "comment as." You can choose "anonymous" from the pull-down list. 2) You can list kind acts you have received from others, and post your name. That's not tooting your horn, that's enumerating the kindness that surrounds you every day. Do whatever floats your boat!
ReplyDeleteLove,
K
One of my favorite nice things to do is give up my seat on the subway so families can sit together. Most of the time I still get a seat, just a different one, and then kids get to sit with their folks.
ReplyDeleteIn your honor I will be working 8/27/09 at the Union Rescue Mission in the IDignity program, which processes about 200-300 homeless persons each month and enables them to obtain in-state/out-of-state birth certificates and also photo ID cards. This provides proper ID if they are trying to obtain housing, jobs, etc., and also if they are stopped on the street and challenged by an "authority" to produce an ID.
ReplyDeleteI am very proud of your decision to celebrate your birthday in this fashion. You are truly a jewel that shines brightly in our Universe, and I am so glad I was privileged to give you birth!
Have a great day :) Sorry I can't be there :(
Your Mom
Hey Sis!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fabulous idea! Today, Dani and I picked up a little birdie that had fallen out of it's nest. It was lying on the ground next to a tree and chirping weakly when Dani's dogs spotted it. So we diverted the impending disaster and picked up the birdie, then made a plan. We actually didn't know what to do, so we called Dani's mom. The neat thing is that Dani's mom knew a lady who was willing to receive and rescue the birdie. She identified the birdie as a ring-necked dove before she left.
We'll stay attuned for another opportunity, though, because we didn't pass along the blog information, as your blog suggests. The "domino effect" is definitely the best part of your birthday gift. We wish you all the best and hope you have a great day. Muah!
Love,
Dani & Scott
happy birthday! i help a friend that has terrible eyesight read the computer.
ReplyDeleteIn honor of your birthday I gave my 94 year old neighbor my old tv free of charge. It has large buttons on the remote that she can see better than the one she has now.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!!
Laura and Becky, you were wonderful giving out three dozen flowers to passers-by last night. Lovely experiment!
ReplyDeleteThis morning I gave a homeless woman five dollars for a box of tampons. I usually only give one dollar at a time on the street ... but for Katherine I made an exception. I think it was a good cause.
ReplyDeletepracticed a possibly lame random act of kindness today but didn't leave a note (didn't read the directions correctly). let a group of bicyclists cross the street in the pouring monsoon rain when other cars wouldn't. may not count because, well, it's the law to let them cross at a crosswalk. . .
ReplyDeleteFor your bday wish we attempted to give some money to everyone that asked us as we visited Montreal. We did not succeed but we did our best. I do not think the people to whom we gave will be looking at facebook but you never know. Happy Birthday you wonderful person!
ReplyDeleteHope you had a nice bday!! Nothing too crazy, but here were random acts of kindness for today... offered my bottle of water to a thirsty MTA worker on the sweltering subway platform on my way to delivering food that I made for a friend of mine who just had surgery. Delivered the food, took out the trash and watered all of her plants since she's having trouble getting around.
ReplyDeleteI made dinner for friends and family!
ReplyDeleteIn your honor we cut short our vacation and flew home from Montreal (where we missed seeing your friends handing out money) to attend our friend's mother's funeral. "Above and beyond" was their comment, when we arrived, unexpected. Since you are always above and beyond, we consider this comment as much for you as for ourselves. Hope your day was happy, and you continue to glow with your special grace.
ReplyDeleteBought clothes for a friend who has been sick so long nothing fits her. Happiness is fleeting but essential food for the soul. Happy birthday Kathy.
ReplyDeleteI took a bag of groceries to a deserving senior citizen who needed it at the end of the month. And then I visited with an old friend I hadn't seen in over a year and she seemed very happy to see me, etc.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday to you and thanks for such a great idea.
A bunch of guys were walking through Union Square last night, handing out roses to all of the women. On my way back home I passed the homeless guy who's always on our corner. He knows our dog at this point and said hi. I gave him my rose and he said "Well now, I'm going to give this to a lovely lady because I nice lady gave it to me"
ReplyDeleteThere's something nice about knowing that you're part of a chain of good feelings...
Many days later, but with your birthday wish in mind, we were at a State Fair, and decided that we wanted to go home early. (3 of us were sick after being on a particularly gnarly ride.) We were hanging out at the ticket booth, waiting to sell the 16 bucks worth of ride tickets to someone, but then I thought, why not just give it to the first family that came along with many kids in tow? So...that's what we did. HB, babe.
ReplyDeleteKatherine- Forgot to tell you my random act of kindness...rescued daisies, black eyed susans and queen ann's lace from roadside mowers! and am raising 4 Monarch caterpillars also rescued from roadside milkweed mowing.
ReplyDeleteI did my random act of kindness as well. I was getting into my car after shopping at target. I saw a gentleman standing by his truck looking forlong :( He had a big box in his truck and the trunk wouldn't close. I went to my truck got out bungie cords and gave it to him. He was very grateful. I smiled and drove away :) Life is good.
ReplyDeleteOn the very day you made this request, my husband and I went to an new (and fabulous) pizza place (coal fired pizza - yeah baby!). Outside was a young man, well dressed and quite distressed. His mom had an emergency and was unable to pick him up from an interview HE HAD JUST COMPLETED. he was looking for help to get the bus fare home - bus stop was across the street. We waited a few minutes, the bus came, and he boarded with moolah in hand to get home. Hopefully, he was able to help out his mom once he got there. Not sure of the emergency situation, but he certainly seemed legit and he got on the bus...so...HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHY :-)
ReplyDeleteIn honor of your birthday, I gave an electronic piano to a poor kid who couldn't afford one. Happy B'day!!! Sorry its late!!! You are my heroine for requesting kindness for your birthday. You are an amazing woman!!!!!
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