Day 31

This morning I woke up bright and early and went to the oldest cemetery in Charlottetown to spread some kindness. This seemed to be the only cemetery that didn’t have flowers - so cold and unloved, not an ideal resting place for those that were buried there. I bought 75 silk flowers thinking I would have enough to give one flower to every plot. I soon realized I really underestimated the size of the grave yard - there were 425 stones. I took the time to read the headstones as I made my way through the rows. I was deep into the cemetery and only had a couple of flowers left, when I heard a man speak to me. It startled me for a minute but I turned around and saw such a big smile. He said how great the flowers looked and that they really brightened things up in there. His name was Carl and he was the caretaker of the graveyard and also a metallic sculpture artist. We really hit it off and he told me stories about the graveyard and the people buried there. It turns out no one had been buried there since 1873, no wonder there were no flowers from loved ones, so many generations later. I am really glad I was able to pay my respect to 75 of them today and to learn so much about this historical burial ground.

On my lunch break I brought skipping ropes, hula hoops and beach toys to the park and put a “Have Fun!” sign on them. I walked by after work today and the beach toys were in the sand box area and it looked like the other things had all been played with too. It was nice to see that kids played with the toys but they left them behind for others to enjoy too.

It was such a gorgeous warm day today so I brought some freezies in to work for my colleagues. On my way home I gave out the rest of them to people that I saw while walking. I got such mixed reviews, some were so appreciative you would think I gave them a hundred dollars. Others were puzzled and tried to pay me for them. A few were apprehensive and declined. It was a neat little experiment, next time I will try popsicles, that way I wouldn't have to carry around scissors to cut the ends off for them :)

I also helped two tourists from Ontario narrow down their choices for dinner, we talked for 15 minutes and I felt like I knew them for years -very kind people. Then I dropped off teddy bears to “Pat and the Elephant” as they were taking donations for a little girl who lost all her teddy bears in a house fire.

It was such an incredible day, a perfect ending to my 31 days of kindness.  Although my blog ends today, I know my random acts of kindness will continue. Kindness is truly the best feeling I have ever experienced, I had no idea the impact this month would have on my life.  Thank you to all of you who followed along on my little journey and also for those of you who started up your own kindness acts/initiatives as a result :)

I’m concluding my last post with Danielle LaPorte’s  inspiring words: 

“Be the Giver”

Give. Be the giver. Be generous. Be voluptuous with your love.

Give first. Be the first to say who you are -- otherwise, the world will define you and you'll have less to give.

Be the first to say I love you, because you do love -- instantly.

Be the first to give an apology, even if you’re just thinking about being sorry.

Giving will show you who you are.

(You may not be who you thought you were, and you'll realize you have so much more ... to give.)

Give up your seat.

Give up your beliefs and you'll be able to give more freely.

Give in the way that only you can give.

Give of yourself. You’ll never regret it.

And never stop giving.

Day 30

Today was by far my favourite day of kindness. I had been carrying around an extra umbrella all day in the event it started to rain. This evening it finally rained and I went on a little search for someone that was caught in the rain without an umbrella or jacket. Within minutes I found someone and offered her my pink umbrella, she was so happy! She didn’t even hesitate to accept, just a huge thank you and a big smile :)

I went to Andrews of Charlottetown to visit with some residents. I taught French once a week at Andrews of Stratford for three years and I really enjoyed it. There was always a class full of 10-15 seniors each week that really loved my classes. I often wondered why I stopped, but my schedule got busy and I took on new things, and after three years of teaching it was hard to come up with new lesson plans each week.  Instead of teaching a class tonight I thought it would be nice to read to someone who was blind. When I arranged my visit earlier this week the activities director gave me a list of 5 names and said I can visit one or all of them.

The first woman I visited was incredible, she was 97.5 (her 1/2 birthday is tomorrow) and she had made 87 wedding dresses by hand over the years, her dresses were even featured in the Eptek Museum. She talked about her family, her life growing up, her sewing, and her fondest memories. We instantly bonded as I used to model wedding dresses in high school and my aunt owned the wedding place. She broke her arm a month ago and couldn’t wait to get the cast off so she could get back to crocheting.  We had a nice ½ hour visit and then I told her I would be back to buy some of her crochet ornaments that she was selling for $4. She is so talented!

Next I met with a sweet woman who was 100 years old, she was almost blind and could only hear out of one ear but she could not stop smiling. She grew up in North Wiltshire where I used to live and we ended up knowing the same people. She graduated from Prince of Wales University in the 1920s and was a school teacher. My grandmother also went to school there and also was a teacher so we had lots to chat about.  We talked about her life growing up, her family and her favourite foods. She loves cupcakes as much as I do :) At the age of 100 she has very few wrinkles and she said her little secret is she still puts cream on her face everyday. She said her son teases her about it as at age 100 he said she probably doesn't need to worry too much about having wrinkles :)  

My third visit was with a brilliant 96 year old man. I visited him for 2 hours and the time flew by. We talked about current events and history - his mind was so sharp. His eyesight was deteriorating but he still tried to read the newspaper every day, as well as watch the news and listen to CBC radio. We bonded instantly, we talked about everything. The details he remembered of his growing up were timeless. I felt like I was there the way he described events, he was an amazing storyteller. It turned out he even knew my grandmother and used to play cards with her,that made me so happy! He said she was a real card shark, which made me smile even more :) He really opened up to me, I could have stayed with him for 2 more hours but it was almost 10pm when I left. He told me how much he missed the company of his wife and that the days were long and his family lived out of province. I promised him I would come back and visit him as I enjoyed the time we spent together. He said he really hopes I do come back.

Tonight I realized the importance of giving someone your time, how much it can make a difference. I have always been a good listener as I love people and love to hear what they have to say.  Meeting three strangers tonight and having bonded with them the way I did is a feeling I can’t even describe. My heart is full of love for them and we only just met.

Makes me realize how much I miss my grandparents as we were very close and had similar heart to heart talks every time we were together. I cherish those moments and I am so grateful to have those memories now after they are gone.

Tonight on my way home I was on such a high from my visits I stopped in for a surprise visit to see my sister-in-law. She was tired when I arrived, so we just laid on her bed, ate chocolate bars and had sister bonding time. It was a perfect ending to my night :) 

Day 29

I’ve waited all month for perfect conditions to paint, tonight was the night, 19 degrees and sunny. Our Island is so beautiful that it is a shame to see all the amateur graffiti on buildings around town. What started out as a little project to clean up city graffiti turned into a collaborative team effort. My friend Kelly and I and her three amazing children had a fun evening erasing the vandalism on our city buildings. We still have lots more we would like to do but tonight was a great start. It was an excellent lesson for the kids as well, to understand the true meaning of RAOKs. They are very excited to start their own kindness challenge for the month of June and already have lots of great ideas. It meant a lot to me to have their help tonight.

Tonight I brought my darling Mom a little "care package" of popsicles, honibe lozenges, Gatorade, a magazine and fuzzy peaches as she wasn’t feeling well and I wanted to brighten her evening with a little surprise visit. 

Day 28

Last summer I used to give money to a man that held a sign that said “Good Karma for $1”. At the time I thought it was a really unique and positive way to ask for money instead of the sad signs I have seen about hunger, out of work, broke etc. I have seen that man a lot this past year and he seemed to have lost hope. 

Today I finally got the courage to talk to him more deeply than just hello. First I gave him $5 so that seemed to make him smile but then I asked if I could talk to him for a minute. I said I know I can give him money whenever I am walking by, but will that really help him? I told him he is a young, intelligent guy that has his whole life ahead of him and how it saddened me to see him on the street this past year when I know that he would have dreams of doing so much more. I said that last year when I saw him his sign was "Good Karma", and now it says "I need $20 no place to live", so I could tell that he had given up hope. I asked him what could I do to really make a difference in his life? I think I caught him off guard as he didn’t know what to say. I asked him if he needed clothes, food, supplies, help with his resume, someone to help him search for jobs on the job bank? Was he aware of all the supports that are available to help him get back on his feet? 

I didn't just stand there and ask him questions, we had a good conversation and he said he is hoping to have a job in June. I told him that I used to manage the Homelessness Initiatives at Service Canada and I knew enough about what was available to him so that if he wanted, I could tell him more about these programs.

At the end I said that I see him often but never introduced myself to him and then I shook his hand. He said his name was Eddy. I told Eddy to think about my offer to help him and that I would come talk to him again the next time I saw him. He seems like a really nice person, I am not sure if I made a difference for him today by showing that I cared. I really tried my best.

Day 27

The tear-off signs from Day 18 were so popular that I thought I would try another idea I saw on pinterest.  I bought some beautiful rainbow sticky notes on the weekend and decided that today I would write little notes with inspirational messages and quotes on them and leave them in random places around the city. I walked around at lunch and left the notes on store shelves, elevators, stairwells, the mirror in a public bathroom, on car windshields, park benches, bus shelters etc... just a little trail or kindness every few steps I took.  It was fun to do, especially trying to place the notes around without people noticing me do it. They just magically appeared around the city ;)

I thought the car windshield would be the nicest for people as they would be expecting it to either be a parking ticket or a flyer but when they see the little hand written note, I hope they smiled. 

Tonight I delivered cupcakes to my neighbour who was called to the bar on Friday, I’m very proud of her! Just a kind gesture to let her know how amazing I think she is.

Day 26

I have been receiving so many kind emails, texts and tweets the past few days about my 31 days of kindness. It means so much to me that people are reading my blog and are incorporating kindness as part of their day as well. One friend said she gave money to a young girl holding a sign, she said she never did that before and that I inspired her to do it. Another friend said she is planning on doing some kindness acts with her children, and another friend has started capturing his kindness through his blog. Kindness is so contagious, if my small acts can inspire others, just imagine how amazing the world would be if everyone put kindness first.

This afternoon when I was at the mall I decided to fill the gumball and toy/sticker machines with loonies and quarters so that when a child comes along they will get a free surprise, or if they happen to look at the other machines they may just get lots of surprises :) I know when I was little I was always fascinated with the candy machines so I hope I make some children happy.

Now I know pay phones are nearly extinct but I thought I would add a quarter to each change return, just in case. That way someone will come along and get a free phone call, or 3 calls if they look in all three phones.  

Before leaving,  I wrapped a toonie in a coloured note that said “Here’s a water on me for RAOK :)” and put it in the change return. That way they will know it was meant for them, not just someone forgetting their change in the machine. 

Very small acts of kindness today, but every little bit helps.

Day 25

Today was a rainy day so I took a couple of hours and went through my closet and drawers for things I know longer wore, loved or needed. A year ago I purged 80% of my belongings and decided I wanted to have a more “minimalist” lifestyle.  It is an incredible feeling to only own the things I need, love and use. A “clutter free” lifestyle frees up all my time as my beautiful apartment is so easy to clean and everything has a place so I don’t have to spend time looking for things. And all the belonging I had that I didn’t use went to people in need instead of filling closets or collecting dust.

Today I went through all my winter and summer clothes and filled four blue bags full of things that no longer fit, or that I didn’t wear over the past six months. I read somewhere that we only wear 20% of the clothes we own, so why bother keeping the other 80%. It is better to give the clothes away while they still have value so that someone else can enjoy them. I donated the four bags to Value Village, and they will sell them to someone who needs them. As an added bonus to my donation, all the proceeds from Value Village go to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Tonight was the PEI Wine Festival and I decided to be the designated driver so that my friends could sample all the wines they wanted. Instead of drinking the wine from every station I was selective in my choices and just had a sip of each rather than drinking the full amount they gave me. I spent so much time chatting with everyone that was there that I lost interest in the wine and just enjoyed the great conversations. I don’t even think I had an accumulation of one glass the whole evening but I had so much fun. Everyone was appreciative to have me as DD for the night as well :)

"A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves". ~ Amelia Earhart

Day 24

Last night after I finished my blog post, I went outside and saw a busker playing a bango with a cute little dog. I ran in and got $5 and a baggie full of dog biscuits and went over to hear her sing and play. She smiled and thanked me, her pup was very excited for the treats. I talked to her for a few minutes and asked if I could take a picture of her and her dog. After I took the photo I saw a piece of cardboard laying on the ground and my face fell and heart sank. Here I thought she was an undiscovered musician (she was so talented) busking from city to city, but it turns out she was a “broke and hungry” traveller. I felt awful and asked her if I could do anything for her. She said she would love a sandwich. I said I would be right back and went home to make her one.

Jerry and I put together a little “care package” for Sonya and her dog Bronco. We gave her a cloth shopping bag full of  sandwiches, tangerines, bananas, orange juice, water, oatmeal, yogurt, cottage cheese, tea, apple sauce, puddings, crackers, dog food and $10 more dollars.

She was so grateful when I gave it to her, and she didn’t want to accept the money but I insisted. We talked for a while and shared stories, I really bonded with her and wished her well on her travels and that I hoped I would get to see her again someday.

 Now I know some of you reading this may think that I have been scammed. To be honest, it wouldn’t hurt me if I found out she was scamming me. I was just happy to be able to offer her kindness, and if I second guess everyone I see on the street how will I be able to help the ones that really do need my kindness? Jerry saw her this morning and she had the shopping bag I gave her last night. It made me happy to have connected with her and her dog.

Now to get to today’s kindness… :) Last night I baked 24 red velvet cupcakes thinking I would bring some in to my colleagues in the morning for a Friday treat.  This morning I woke up and decided to send out a little kindness tweet:

“If you know someone in the downtown core that would like a red velvet cupcake to brighten their day – please let me know :) #RAOK”

Well I got lots of replies and had a full morning of deliveries before work. First stop was to see @PEIPaulAlan radio host for Magic 93.1. When I arrived I put the cream cheese icing and sprinkles on it. All of a sudden he said, we are on the air in 20 seconds…!! So my cupcake delivery turned into a little interview about my 31 days of kindness blog.  It was such a surprise and really thoughtful of Paul :)

Next I delivered a cupcake to @Jpick87 at the Travel Store, @peihouses at Eastern College, then @rick_gallant asked me to deliver one to CIBC Wood Gundy to “the best assistant in the world” – it really made her day, she was so surprised that he did that for her!

I then gave three to the commissionaires at work, some to my colleagues, three to the staff at David’s tea and one to @meregirl. It is amazing how everyone smiles when it comes to beautiful little cupcakes – myself included :)

 At noon today I realized I had taken the scissors from Paul’s colleague at the radio station (had to cut the icing bag open to decorate Paul’s cupcake) so when I was returning the scissors I brought his colleague back a mango madness David's iced tea to make up for my little theft. She was very appreciative :)

Day 23

This morning I signed up to be a volunteer at the PEI Humane Society. We adopted our dogs Deuce and Abby from there 10 years ago and have always been grateful to them for giving us those two beautiful gifts of unconditional love. I give a bi-weekly charitable donation to Humane Society through payroll deductions but I wanted to do more – I wanted to give my time.  So in a week I get to go to an orientation session and then I get to volunteer as much or as little as I want – they make it so easy. If you wake up that morning and want to donate a ½ hour of your time you go online and pick a time available. If you can’t make it you just go on the site and remove your name. I would like to aim for an hour a week to begin.

 I always wanted to be a Veterinarian since I was 13 years old.  I volunteered at the Atlantic Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Abegweit Vet clinic growing up and in University I participated in several surgeries and did many dissections on animals.  I felt this was my calling and didn’t consider any other career path at that point in time.  Sadly I didn’t realize how hard euthanasia would be…I had to put down a Chinese pug. He was looking at me with those big brown eyes, and tears started streaming down my face. Within a few minutes he was gone. I was numb…and every night before I went to bed I thought of that little face. Three weeks later it wasn’t getting any easier so I decided I could no longer become a Vet. It takes a very strong person to be a Vet, to put those feelings in your heart aside, knowing you are doing what is best for the animals.

I learned a lot when our Abby girl got sick with Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia, Vasculitis and then Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia. It was a really difficult 8 months but we worked with several vets and specialists, and did everything we could to save her precious life. She was amazing and I would have done anything to save her.

 I really want to get back working with animals again. I know it will be hard to see all the animals at the Humane society without homes (and I know I will want to adopt every one of them) but I have so much love to give, if I can make a difference in their lives and help them feel safe before they get adopted, then it will all be worth it.

Today at lunch I dropped off a big supply of toys, poop bags, dog treats, cat treats, blankets and towels for the animals. The lady at the counter was very appreciative of all the items. I also brought in some cupcakes for the employees /volunteers as I wanted them to know how much they are appreciated.  She was so happy, she put a message out on the walkie-talkies that there were cupcakes in the kitchen for everyone :) Today’s kindness made me smile for hours :)

Day 22

Today was an amazing day! I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face for even a minute.  I am not sure if it is because I am surrounding myself with my new Himalayan rock lamp for hours at a time at work or just happy with life in general.

This morning I ran into my grade 7 band teacher, I haven’t seen him since the end of grade 9 and he remembered my name and gave me a big hug like long, lost friends. We talked for about 10 minutes catching up and he asked when I played the clarinet last (I can’t believe he even remembered what instrument I played with all the students he had over the years). Sadly I haven’t picked up a clarinet since grade 12 but he told me about this concert band he started that meets once a week and he said I was welcome to join them. I think that would be so fun as I always wanted to learn to play Saxaphone (very similar to clarinet) so this could be my opportunity. I will have the summer to brush up before they play together again in the fall. I have been learning to play the guitar through an online course at Berklee College of Music so at least I am getting brushed up again on all the notes.

Anyways back on point, I had on my list of RAOKs that I wanted to reach out to someone that made a difference in my life, and here was my opportunity. I told Mr. Fitzgerald that I was so grateful to him for being such an inspirational and enthusiastic teacher. Everybody loved him so much and that he was such a genuine, kind-hearted  teacher that wanted his students to reach their potential. I said how incredible it was to run into him today after all these years and thanked him for everything. I am really considering  joining his band, sure would be cool to see Mr. Fitz again every week just like old times.

 Today I received my first assignment from itstartswith.us the group I joined last week:

Smile at others 25 times today.  It can be at family, friends, co-workers or (maybe even better) at complete strangers.  Just smile 25 times at others and at least a few times to yourself, maybe?

This was the easiest kindness assignment for me as I had a perma-smile all day long. Even people that looked a bit grumpy smiled back at me while walking towards each other on the street. Kindness is contagious, just smiling or saying hi (even though it can some days feel awkward) can make a difference for someone.

Tonight I received a note from a non-connection on LinkedIn who saw a comment I made on an inspirational video that one of my connections shared this morning. It was so out of the blue but yet it was really thoughtful. He said he read my comment and that I have such a big heart, and that my comment made his day. It was really nice getting a random compliment from someone I didn’t know – true kindness in action :)

Day 21

I received the sweetest text message this morning from my adorable 6 year old nephew Ryder.  He usually sends me photos, emoticons, and videos but today he texted me “I love you”. It made my heart melt - he is such a darling boy.

Today I gave bottles of water to two mailmen. They seemed quite pleased to have a refreshing drink.  I know they walk around for hours each day delivering the mail and I rarely see them carrying water or stopping for a little rest.

After work today I left three of my favourite books on benches around the city. I put a note on the inside telling them to “enjoy the great read”. I probably should have put a sticky note on the outside covers as people may just think that someone forgot the books on the benches and just leave them there. I hope those who take the books enjoy them as much as I did.  I also hope after they read them that they give them away to someone else to enjoy, instead of letting them collect dust on a bookshelf.

Update: When I went back the next morning two of the three books were gone. The third one I dropped off to the library before it started to rain :)

Day 20

This morning I received the most beautiful text from an amazing friend, wishing me a happy Victoria Day and telling me how much she appreciates my friendship, that I am a blessing in her life and thanking me for my love. Good morning texts are my favourite, she certainly made me feel special - I am so grateful to have her as my friend.

I decided today I am going to get my little dog certified as a therapy dog, I think he would be perfect for it as he adores people and has so much love to give. Since he is 11 (77 in dog years, but acts like a puppy) I know he would relate well with the seniors in every way. Can’t wait, Deuce and I are going to have so much fun visiting the seniors' homes and hospitals spreading kindness.

Tonight I went to the Laundromat as I decided I would load some of the washers and dryers with loonies and toonies so that when someone goes to do their laundry it will be free for them.  I ended up going to a “restricted area” not realizing as I had never been there before, and the lady said this is for staff only. She said what are you doing and I replied “a random act of kindness”. She looked at me like I had two heads but never questioned what I was up to. I left after filling lots of machines, hoping that the people would be happy when they realized their laundry would be free that evening.

I noticed today that people are starting to take the tear-offs from my signs that I distributed around the city on Saturday. I took a picture of one of the “take what you need” signs as it really touched my heart - seeing that the only one remaining was “beauty”. It just goes to show that people really treasure the inner qualities most: love, hope, patience, courage, understanding, peace, passion, healing, strength and freedom. 

Day 19

Today was a mixture of very small amounts of kindness. I had 6 months of Oxygen and Women’s Health magazines piling up so rather than recycling them I decided to take them down to the common area in my apartment lobby. That way others can get a chance to read my favourite magazines too.

Tonight I went to my parents’ house and after supper we saw a beautiful three legged fox in the yard. I know you are not supposed to feel wild animals but I really bonded with this little fella and realized it would be much harder for him to find food limping around on 3 skinny legs. So we decided to feed him the leftover salmon and haddock and he ate every bite. It felt good to be able to help the fox, at least for one night he wouldn't have to use all his energy hunting and could go to sleep with a full stomach.

Later that evening I helped my sister in-law clean the inside of her jeep. With two little boys her jeep was full of toys, clothes and garbage, so she was grateful to have my help.

Day 18

Today was a rainy/snowy day so I decided to spend the morning catching up on facebook messages. My birthday was two weeks ago and I really got behind on my replies. I did do a post thanking everyone on my birthday, but every year I like to take the time to thank them all individually too.  I usually don’t wait two weeks though….better late than not at all I suppose. I feel if they take the time to send me a message I am going to take the time to thank them individually. It was nice to reread all their kind notes, it brightened up my morning.

I went grocery shopping this afternoon and it was pretty busy. While waiting in the line-up I told three different people to go ahead of me as they had less items than I did, but not one of them would. By the third person I finally said “Please I want you to go in front of me…let me do a random act of kindness.” But they just smiled and laughed  - I think they thought they were on "Just for Laughs Gags" or something ;)

So my day had good intentions but nothing concrete for a RAOK. I had made up signs last week that I found on pinterest but it has been so rainy so I hadn’t put them up yet. So tonight I looked at the forecast and we are not getting any more rain for a few days – ideal conditions for paper sign survival. So I bundled up and set out to post my little signs all over the city. I had 30 of them and had a lot of fun finding spots to put them. At the same time trying to imagine what people would think when they read them. Some will laugh, some will think they are sappy and others will appreciate them :) Even if one person reads them and smiles, it will be worth all the effort.

These are the signs I found on pinterest (and then made my own):

Day 17

Happy Friday! I was walking to get a coffee this morning and saw 4 people on stationary bikes peddling their little hearts out for donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I decided those four people were going to be my kindness today, and I would get them a little refreshing treat for a surprise. When I was walking inside to buy the drinks I saw the lady that sells The Guardian newspaper every day and she always holds the door open for everyone. I decided I would get her a treat too. So I went and picked up two strawberry smoothies and three lemonade smoothies. When I was leaving she held the door open for me again and I said to her “I bought you this to thank you for always being such a kind person holding the door for everyone when you are selling your newspapers”.  I don’t think I have ever seen her smile so big, I really made her happy, I am not sure if anyone has ever done that for her before. Then I took the other 4 drinks to the bikers who were really working up a sweat on this chilly day. They were grateful too and were so friendly.  We were strangers but for that moment in time it felt like we had known each other forever. I smiled my whole way back to work, it brightened my morning.

It was a quiet day at work, I had lots to do but there was no chatter and very little background noise as a lot of people in my area took the day off to make it an extra long weekend. It was grey and rainy so I went to visit my favourite store MoonSnail on my lunch break for some positive energy.  I looked around for a bit and was drawn to the snow white Himalayan rock salt lamp. I have an orange one at home in my meditation room and I leave it on 24 hours a day as it purifies the surrounding atmosphere by releasing negative ions into the air which provide essential health benefits. I decided to buy this one for my office as a gesture of kindness (lol), and to cheer up my mood on this rainy cold day. My colleagues will also reap the benefits of this amazing rock, so it can be considered kindness for them as well :)

It came with four different chakra lights for chromotherapy. I took a photo of my new rock lamp with each of the 4 lights, it appears to be 4 different rocks – amazing what chakra bulbs can do.

Magnificent, soul warming and magical.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now I know what I am about to write isn’t going to offer value added to my RAOK blog, but for those of you that know me I love this kind of stuff so I will digress (on purpose) for a moment :)

Here are the benefits of the coloured Chakra lights:

Healing white light is good for everything; it’s the perfect colour because it combines all colours - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet light. The innate intelligence of the body will take whatever colour it needs. White is associated with the seventh or crown chakra.

Green light supports love, communication and acceptance. Green is the colour of nature. Green links with and stimulates the fourth or heart chakra promoting harmony and balance.

Blue light increases calmness, peace, love, inner peace and devotion. Blue links with and stimulates the fifth or throat chakra promoting open communication.

Red light increases physical energy, vitality, stamina and passion. It’s a grounding colour. Red links with and stimulates the first or root chakra, at the base of the spine, resulting in greater strength.

I have no idea why I didn't get one of these for work sooner, I may have to pick one of the snow whites up for home too, so mesmerizing. 

Day 16

I find this RAOK is really becoming ingrained in my daily life, I know it takes 21 days to make a habit but by day 16 of this challenge it is really starting to stick. Today I found myself in a bit of a routine, holding doors for people when they were 20 steps away, smiling at strangers without effort, dropping loonies in buskers’ guitar cases,  and feeding expired meters. I guess this challenge is having more of an impact on me than I thought it would - I just have this overwhelming feeling of complete happiness, looking everywhere for ways to spread kindness.

Today I did the Canadian Armed Forces Fitness Test. We were split into groups and none of us really knew each other. The test was tough because we weren’t doing it at an average pace; our competitive nature kicked in and we were trying to beat each other’s scores.  The last station everyone was wiped and our bodies were full of adrenaline and lactic acid. Despite how wrecked we felt, it was so amazing to see how encouraging everyone was and cheering each other on. The cheering really made me push another 150%. We kept each other going, to me that is pure kindness in action. The competitive rivalry melted away and it turned into a team effort instead of individual. It was exhilarating to be part of it.

On my way home from work I saw this darling boy with little crutches that hooked around his forearms, he appeared to be talking to people but they just kept on walking.  I stopped when I got to him and he asked if I wanted to buy a ticket, I knew I didn’t have any cash (I’m a debit girl) but scrounged in my purse for enough change for a ticket and even a little tip for being such a good salesperson. I asked what the tickets were for and he said to win money. He was adorable, turns out he was in grade 1 and was selling tickets for his brother’s grade 6 class, and his quiet brother was in the background letting him work his magic. That sweet boy made my evening – you could tell he loved helping his brother just by his interactions with me.

Last but not least, I received a nice tweet on my blog post from itstartswith.us – a global community of individuals focused on making a positive impact in the lives of the people around them. I signed up for the email listing where they send out a weekly assignment that takes just 15 minutes or less to complete – all contributing efforts to make the world a better place. I am excited for my first assignment – bring it on, I’m ready :)

Day 15

Today I took my lunch break early and went to the Soup Kitchen at 11am. I wanted to drop off a big bag of combs, brushes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, chapsticks and bandaids. I know there is a Survival Centre in Charlottetown and they receive funding for supplies so I thought it would be nice for the Soup Kitchen to have some supplies too. The place was packed so they were going to put the items in baskets and let people take what they need. I felt good knowing the items would be appreciated by many.

When I arrived I went back to the kitchen and saw that they had two huge pots of soup cooking on the stove. Now I know it is called the "Soup Kitchen" but I didn’t really think they served soup. I volunteered there several times over the past five years during the evening and we cooked all kinds things - but never soup. My very first time using a barbecue was at the Soup Kitchen and I cooked 75 hamburgers and 50 hot dogs. I was a natural at the barbecue, only one hamburger was returned that had red in the middle – not bad for my first time ;).

It was always such a rewarding feeling giving my time to prepare meals for those in need. Being back at the soup kitchen today made me realize I need to volunteer there more often. 

Day 14

Today you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Some of my colleagues seemed to be having a very difficult morning with work pressures and deadlines - the dark dreary rain clouds were not helping matters either. Today I decided my random act of kindness would be for my colleagues.

I never bring junk food to the office (except cupcakes but they don’t count), so today I picked up some timbits and donuts to try to brighten up the atmosphere. I made the mistake of putting a big note on the boxes that said “To my amazing coworkers – thank you!”

An hour went buy and no one took any…I couldn’t figure it out….it turns out my colleagues didn’t realize I was meaning them as technically "my team" is just my Manager and I that do Organizational Health and Ethics. And my Manager was not taking any as she thought it was for my “co-workers” so I added "amazing manager" to my note. Then my Director General dropped by a bit later and read the note, he didn’t take a timbit either…until I added DG to the list and then I also added “ and everyone” :)

Finally the floodgates opened and all the treats were gone in an hour. Next time no cryptic notes, just lots and lots of treats :)

I think the sugar helped cheer everyone up (or at least my note got some laughs) the day turned around and the sunshine even came out for a few minutes ;)

Day 13

Day 13 already - usually 13 is unlucky but for 8 people it is a good luck day :) I decided today to essentially let the wind whisk away my money and bring it to someone who may need it more than I do. I took 3 five dollar bills and marked them with a “Cheers to You” stamp so they would be identifiable. I then walked around Charlottetown, crumpled each of them up a bit and let them go…

It was the most exhilarating feeling as I am not one to just throw money away, but knowing how much fun it would be to be walking along the road and all of a sudden you come across a $5 dollar bill floating along in the wind – it would make my day. That’s a starbucks latte for someone, or a parking ticket fine, or just $5 to go towards their lunch etc..

I have never found random bills while walking along the street before but I get excited if I find a quarter on the ground – it is very good luck you know ;) So on my way home I decided to drop five loonies at random locations around the city. If finding a penny is good luck I can only imagine how lucky finding a loonie would be.  

The best part about today’s RAOK is I can envision in my mind what the people’s faces look like when they find the money. Thinking about it all afternoon and wondering if someone already found the money made me happy. In retrospect I should have splurged and dropped a $20 or a $50 – now wouldn’t that really have made someone’s day a little bit brighter!

I know some of you reading this will think I am crazy "throwing away" $20 dollars today, but until you experience it yourself you will never understand how truly amazing it feels.

Day 12

Happy Mother’s Day to all the fabulous Moms out there :) I am beyond grateful for my amazing Mom, I couldn’t imagine my life without her. She is the most inspiring, kind, genuine  and supportive person in my life. She brightens the lives of everyone she touches.

I decided today to do something for my best friend’s Mom who passed away in February. She was an organ donor and saved so many lives with her donation. I thought I would give back and also become a donor as I have heard recently that even if your license and health card say you are a donor, if you don’t fill out a registration they can’t take your donation.

I did a bit of research and it is Service Ontario that requires you to fill out the registration. PEI is different, so it turns out I have been an organ donor since I was 16 because of the little heart on my driver’s license and the red square sticker on my health card. That made me happy!

I also would love to be able to give blood since my Dad was in a terrible car accident when I was 4 months old and he was unconscious for 11 days. It was the dedicated blood donors that saved his life. I am so grateful for them.  I went through the whole process of donating blood a few months ago but when they tried to get a visible vein for the 16 gauge needle, 3 nurses could not find one that would work. They are only allowed one try with the needle and if they miss they can’t try again, even in the other arm. Sadly it didn’t work but I won’t give up hope and will try again soon.

This morning I found this initiative that really warmed my heart.  “The world needs more love letters” won the 2013 Kindness Challenge and the co-founder’s story really inspired me.

Hannah Brencher began writing love letters to strangers on the New York City 4 train in October 2010. After becoming mildly obsessed with planting love letters all over the city, she extended the offer of love letters out into the world wide web and began writing love letters to people she will probably never meet. After spending nearly one year writing 400 love letters to strangers, "More Love Letters" was born. The organization writes and mails handwritten love letters to strangers in need all over the world. You can request a love letter for someone in your life who needs one and you can also join in and write letters to strangers too.

I love to write and even though I am a minimalist I have a whole chest full of stationary, thank you notes and cards. I have never stopped my “old fashioned” hand written gratitude and thank you notes, and people have always appreciated receiving them. I can only imagine how amazing it would be to brighten up the day of someone who is going through a rough time, when they open up a letter from you that is full of love, encouragement and support.

I got so excited about it that I signed up right away to be part of the team, I also signed up to be a blogger ambassador – I hope I get chosen.  They send you a weekly email with the details and then you start writing your personalized letters to each individual. I already got a head start and wrote three letters this morning :) It made this rainy day feel like pure sunshine.

There's no such thing as a small act of kindness... every act creates a ripple with no logical end.

Day 11

The new summer menu came out at David’s tea so I decided to go pick up an iced tea for my friend as she had to work inside on this beautiful warm day. I passed by a homeless man with a cardboard sign that said “spare change, have a nice day”.  I decided I would pick up an ice tea for him as well.

When I brought him his iced tea he was so shocked and didn’t know what to say. Then he said,  “Wow I have never tried this before, thank you so much you kind dear”. I didn’t make it seem like I was giving it to him because he was holding a sign asking for spare change, it was more like I had just given it to a friend. He seemed happy that I didn’t give him the tea because I felt sorry for him but that I was just trying to brighten his day. 

Then I took the other iced tea to my friend, she really appreciated it and I had a good little visit with her. She even sent me a really sweet note afterwards to thank me for the tea, the spur of the moment visit and for being a good friend. That meant a lot to me.

Later that day I was at Sobey’s picking up a few things to take to a friend’s barbecue. The lady in front of me asked if I had an air miles card as she wanted to give her points to me. It caught me off guard, and then I realized she was paying it forward to me - so sweet of her.

For my random kindness today I bought a big bag full of colouring books and boxes of crayons for the pediatric unit and several large print word-find and crossword books for the seniors at the hospital. Although I didn’t get to bring the items to each of the patients myself, it felt good to know that at some point tonight some kids that are scared at the hospital may be taking their mind off things by colouring a pretty picture with the books and crayons. And that a senior who may have trouble reading the newspaper can keep their mind off their illness by doing a crossword with large print so they don’t have to squint at the pages. I hope it will make their time in the hospital go by a little bit faster for them. 

Day 10

Today on my way home from work I saw out of the corner of my eye a lady trying to open a door with several boxes in her hand. I was walking fairly quickly but stopped to help. I am so glad I did, as I was able to open the door for her without her dropping the boxes and I took  two of them from her and helped carry them to her car. She was so grateful, she said she should have made two trips but was in a rush and thought she could carry them all herself even though they were heavy and breakable.

I am happy to be able to help someone randomly like that; this blog has made me consciously look for ways of helping others in very small ways. I know after this month is over I will be in the mindset to keep doing something for someone each day, or at least watch for small opportunities like today - to lend a helping hand.

It is strange but I know small gestures help others, but I think the feeling I get from doing random kindness acts makes me feel even better than they do. It is an overwhelming heartfelt feeling when you see the look of gratitude in their eyes. The feeling I get from that look on their faces is my favourite part of this challenge so far...

Day 9

Today on my way to a meeting I noticed the parking meter man was out. I had 10 loonies in my purse knowing at some point this month I would pay some meters as an act of kindness. I asked the man if I could pay the meter before he gave the car a ticket, he said sure and put his pen down.

Then I walked a few steps ahead of him and put a loonie in each meter that was flashing. As we walked along I saved 6 more cars from getting tickets. He looked at me and said, you sure made my job easy this morning ;) I smiled and said, I hope I make a few people happy when they come out to their car and see they didn’t get a ticket :) After my meeting I saved three more cars until my loonies were gone.

Now I know in PEI it is only $5 for a parking ticket (unlike big cities where it is $50-$100) but it is more the inconvenience of having to pay the ticket when you get it (either walking to city hall or paying online). So although my 10 loonies only saved 10 people $5 each, every little bit helps.

I probably should have done this while I was in Ottawa as my colleague got a $55 dollar parking ticket on one of the days I was there last week. On my next visit I will make sure I play "parking angel" and watch for expired meters.

Day 8

Today was the first cruise ship arrival of the season, for those of you that know me I absolutely love cruise ships and of course the tourists they bring to the Island. It was a gorgeous spring day and I went for a long walk on my lunch break. There were tourists everywhere with their maps and cameras taking in everything the beautiful city has to offer.

Last week I had read an idea for a RAOK and it said “Help lost people - See tourists wandering around lost? Help them out. Be their new local friend. Someone did this for us once and we were so, so thankful.”

So that is exactly what I did, I talked to several tourists while walking around the city and asked them where they were from and what they had the opportunity to see so far that day. I also told them about my favourite spots in Charlottetown and gave them directions to the places they wanted to see next. 

Cruise ships usually only stop for a day so they don’t have much time to take in all the sights. Every little bit of help from an Islander is appreciated as we know all the hot spots. I met some really kind people and was grateful to be able to help them out on their visit to Prince Edward Island :)

On my way home from work I also took the time to stand and listen to a busker playing guitar and singing. After the song I put $5 in his case. I am always on the go and rarely stop to listen to their talents, I think most people do the same so I am sure he appreciated an audience for a full song :)