Saturday, December 19, 2020

Random Acts of Kindness by Merri Maywether

 “The fun is seeing the surprise in everyone’s face. When someone does something kind for one person, the change is palatable. Everyone around them starts to believe in good things happening.” 

~Iris Sinclair in Holiday Kisses

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When I lived in a larger town, my children and I would have a random acts of kindness day. There was the ever-popular drive-thru, pay for the order behind you, deed. We’d go to Starbucks or McDonald’s and giggle the whole time. The boys stole glances out the back window, trying to determine who would be the lucky recipient of the coffee or burger. Delighted giggles filled the car. What I loved best was the reaction of the person in the pay window. First came the shock of our request. You want to do what? When the cash passed hands, their faces lit up. They would be the one to tell the next car that their meal or pep me up coffee was free. 


imageFrom there, we’d visit the dollar store. I gave the boys three dollars each. We’d hide nine dollars. Again the reactions were priceless. This time it was security guards tailing us because we were a little too suspicious.


We have an angel of kindness in our community. Around this time of the year, she’ll buy coats, hoodies, and gloves for the kids and leave them in the lockers of the kids who need them. When the presents start dropping, the kids approach me and mention in hushed tones, “Hey, The Secret Santa did something kind for me.”


Denying foreknowledge is a struggle. I have to practice my surprised face in the mirror and deny, deny, deny. I change the subject and ask about the gift. When the kid moves on to their next class, I sneak a message to tell this friend how the person loved the gift. 


I love being on either side of the giving. On one side, I get to see the reaction of the person who will receive the thanks. On the other, I am the recipient of appreciation. In both situations, the gift renews the belief of goodness in our world. 


Usually, I get grumpy about people being kind only in December. This year, my attitude has changed. We need it. People who were belligerent in June, July, and August have emerged with olive branches. I love the expressions on their faces when they are well received. We get it. When things are the hardest, it is the most important time to be forgiving. 


So I’m closing this note with a wish that you see kindness in your world. It may be someone letting you cut in line before them at the grocery store. This year, I gave someone something out of my cart when they couldn’t find it (it was a package of toilet paper). Or, it may be something you do to add some light to somebody’s bad day. And when you see it, I hope the giddy feeling endures. 


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Iris Sinclair looks forward to the day after Thanksgiving. It's the day her Holiday Kisses season begins, and she leaves little presents to brighten people's days.

Things change when Iris's best friend, Jordan, notices something special behind her quirky personality. The change couldn't have come at a more inconvenient time. Iris's nemesis has recruited him to enlist Iris in a partnership she would never agree to without his influence.

The Paradise Hills promise of a magical happily ever after is tested when the best friends are forced to choose between their blossoming love or the secret.

🎄 Books to Read Link to get your copy of Holiday Kisses


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Merri lives on a family farm with her husband in rural Montana. When she isn't crafting small-town romance stories, she is either in the school library with the next generation of readers or in the classroom, inspiring them to write their stories.


3 comments:

  1. Thank you for this lovely and meaningful blog, Merri. There's always room for more kindness in the world.

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  2. Merri, thanks for reminding us of the joy of giving.

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  3. I love this, Merri. It is definitely more blessed to give than to receive. The older I get, the more I appreciate that.

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