Day 12 Prompt:
In times of instability we often see some of the sweetest acts of humanity. Today, reflect on some of the recent kindnesses you have seen. Do one extra kind thing. If you can share it in your reflection, please do.
I have seen kindness all around me! My co-workers are checking in on each other scheduling happy hours, coffee breaks and listening when someone is having a tough day. The boys school has meal pick ups because we live in a district where sometimes school is the only consistent meal kids have. I'm on a chat group with a few friends and one of those friends who is an essential worker (a term she hates) asks us all if we need anything when she goes to the store, when I was running low on TP she came through! Another friend started giving us all space to vent but also asked us for our happy for the day which is something I look forward to throughout the day. I have received phone calls, texts and even a card in the mail from my church family. On Beckett's birthday our friends went out of their way to drive over here with signs, honking and singing happy birthday. The children's director at church sent Beckett a special typed birthday card with the UGA logo and confetti, it meant so much to him.
We've lived in our neighborhood for almost 13 years and other than then few people who live around us we haven't met anyone else, however a nurse posted to our facebook page that she was seeing so much tough stuff at work she wanted to spend the weekend taking phots of people in their yards so she could see a little happiness. We signed up and she came to take our pictures. Turns out we are both from WV, she lives on the street behind us and does raised bed gardening which is something I want to start doing. Her and I have become facebook friends and chat all the time. Her act of kindness made us a new friend.
As for my act of kindness. Yesterday I went to Target to get some essentials. While there I saw an employee who was talking to everyone who went by and most people would either ignore her or look at her like she was crazy. I decided to stop and chat from 6 feet away. I asked how she was doing and she said "I'm doing great but you are the first person who has actually said something to me in about an hour". We got to talking and she said that people are not being rude but what she misses the most is that while she's working her 8-10 hour shifts no one really talks to her. They act like they are scared when she talks to them. It makes for a really long day when you feel like everyone is afraid of you. That hit close because I'm afraid when I'm in the stores. I think back to a few weeks ago when I was in Publix and the person stocking the shelf ask if I was finding everything OK, and I wasn't but I gave him a weird look that surely said why are you talking to me and told him "yes I have it under control". I didn't mean to be rude but going out in public is scary! It is also not lost on me that had this happened 4 years ago while Alfred was still at Publix our COVID life would look different. I've made a commitment to at least acknowledge the store employees I come in contact with. They are there because they have to be and it would be really terrible to go 8-10 hours feeling like people are scared of you.
I have seen kindness all around me! My co-workers are checking in on each other scheduling happy hours, coffee breaks and listening when someone is having a tough day. The boys school has meal pick ups because we live in a district where sometimes school is the only consistent meal kids have. I'm on a chat group with a few friends and one of those friends who is an essential worker (a term she hates) asks us all if we need anything when she goes to the store, when I was running low on TP she came through! Another friend started giving us all space to vent but also asked us for our happy for the day which is something I look forward to throughout the day. I have received phone calls, texts and even a card in the mail from my church family. On Beckett's birthday our friends went out of their way to drive over here with signs, honking and singing happy birthday. The children's director at church sent Beckett a special typed birthday card with the UGA logo and confetti, it meant so much to him.
We've lived in our neighborhood for almost 13 years and other than then few people who live around us we haven't met anyone else, however a nurse posted to our facebook page that she was seeing so much tough stuff at work she wanted to spend the weekend taking phots of people in their yards so she could see a little happiness. We signed up and she came to take our pictures. Turns out we are both from WV, she lives on the street behind us and does raised bed gardening which is something I want to start doing. Her and I have become facebook friends and chat all the time. Her act of kindness made us a new friend.
As for my act of kindness. Yesterday I went to Target to get some essentials. While there I saw an employee who was talking to everyone who went by and most people would either ignore her or look at her like she was crazy. I decided to stop and chat from 6 feet away. I asked how she was doing and she said "I'm doing great but you are the first person who has actually said something to me in about an hour". We got to talking and she said that people are not being rude but what she misses the most is that while she's working her 8-10 hour shifts no one really talks to her. They act like they are scared when she talks to them. It makes for a really long day when you feel like everyone is afraid of you. That hit close because I'm afraid when I'm in the stores. I think back to a few weeks ago when I was in Publix and the person stocking the shelf ask if I was finding everything OK, and I wasn't but I gave him a weird look that surely said why are you talking to me and told him "yes I have it under control". I didn't mean to be rude but going out in public is scary! It is also not lost on me that had this happened 4 years ago while Alfred was still at Publix our COVID life would look different. I've made a commitment to at least acknowledge the store employees I come in contact with. They are there because they have to be and it would be really terrible to go 8-10 hours feeling like people are scared of you.
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