Reflection: Random Acts of Kindness

November has come and gone and I'm a bit sad my Random Acts of Kindness has come to an end.  

In the past month I've learned a lot about myself, as well as others:

• Giving doesn't necessarily mean spending money; I was able to donate with my time and talents, not just my checkbook.
• It's amazing what people can do when they come together for the common good and well-being of others. 
• Helping out is sometimes as easy as a few clicks of a computer mouse, and can take just a few quick minutes.
• A simple "thank you" can leave an impact bigger than ever imagined.

Of the RAKs I preformed a few really stand out:

• Preparing over 100 Thanksgiving dinners for families in our community - that day it really struck me how fortunate my family is.
• Our mailman was so appreciative of something so simple as scotcharoos and thank you. 
• I wrote thank you notes to a few high school coaches of mine, and I received a note back regarding the thank you... it made me cry. **My husband was the beneficiary of one of your notes, and you brought tears to his eyes. You have no idea how much your thoughtfulness meant to him. He has been taxiing our kids to different events for the last four years because my job has kept me away from home more than I like. Consequently, he has not had time to coach. Your note inspired him to check into coaching openings in our district again since our oldest can now drive.

I will continue to challenge myself to Be Kind, Be Generous, and Be Thankful whenever I possibly can. As my little man grows up I want him to know how truly fortunate and blessed we are. I want Marcus to see what a little good, a lot of kind, and a heart full of thanks can do in this world.

Here is a list of organizations I utilized in my 30 day RAK challenge. Click on the provided links to learn more about each, and what you can do to help:

American Red Cross
Click for Your Charity
Cinderella Project
Color Run 
Donate Life
Donate My Dress
Free Rice
Goodwill
One Warm Coat
Operation Shoebox
Ripple
Salvation Army
The Hunger Site
Toys for Tots


May I encourage you to Be Kind, Be Generous, and Be Thankful, especially with the holiday season upon us.

Though the month is over my journey hasn't concluded. In fact, it's just begun...

To see what each day of November brought me click on the links below:
RAK - Week 1
RAK - Week 2
RAK - Week 3
RAK - Week 4
RAK - Week 5