Things that brighten my day
I appreciate witnessing random acts of kindness unfolding in public places. I could be jogging and catch a glimpse of a person chasing a bus and making it onboard because the driver caught sight of them in the rearview mirror and decided to wait. It’s a heartwarming little moment that paints a slight smile across my face as I am heaving from uphill running.
Or I could be on the Skytrain and see a young person offering their seat to someone who is pregnant or elderly. The person receiving the seat is usually smiling with an expression of appreciation. I see them mouth something to the person giving up their seat, I am too far away to hear anything and have no talents in the area of lip reading but I am certain it’s something along the lines of a sincere “thank you!”. My hope for these acts is that it enables a “pay it forward” attitude.
Charlene
When I think about the ripple effects of these random acts of kindness, I think of certain friendships that have cultivated from acts such as these. I met my friend Charlene five years ago when I was hitchhiking across Vancouver Island.
Please note: I am not encouraging any of you to go out and start hitchhiking and catching rides to your destinations. I hope the ride you catch is the Expo Line to King George. Also, I believe hitchhiking is now closely monitored and is illegal. *Insert nervous smiling face emoji here*. What I am trying to say is, I was young, reckless and going a little overboard with my autonomy.
Moving forward! I recall sitting in a cafe, mapping out my next stop and looking for campsites nearby. As I was planning, a lady walked in and ordered her “usual”. While waiting, she caught sight of my backpack bulging from my tent and asked me what I was up to. I didn’t mind these small talk questions at all so I informed her about my plans. She told me she was in the midst of moving and said I could stay in her spare room, dinner included. Only condition was I help her pack and move boxes. My answer was an immediate “yes”.
That night, I remember laughing hard telling her about my little island adventure over dinner, and her telling me about the change happening in her own life. I would later learn this quality of kindness was just a big part of who Charlene is. She gives with never expecting anything in return, a characteristic I’ve been trying to adopt.
As the years went by, we kept in touch through letters, postcards and email. I visited her whenever I had the opportunity. She speaks with compassion, empathy and leaves you feeling empowered. To this day we always reminisce and talk about the days our friendship came into existence. We linger on that fateful day, when we were two strangers helping each other and because we chose kindness, the future of our friendship became extraordinary. This is just one example of how acts of kindness have altered my life in wonderful ways.
Rebecca Schofield
Recently, I was on a bus heading home and I picked up a tattered Metro newspaper that was probably left behind by a commuter during the bustling morning hours. I noticed they started the crossword and didn’t bother with the Sudoku section. I was happy they left it because I caught sight of articles about random acts of kindness.
I read of a news story about a teenage girl from New Brunswick who turned a terminal prognosis into an online movement inspiring acts of kindness across the globe. Rebecca Schofield recently passed away from brain cancer at the age of 18. Even in the midst of such a difficult time, she spent her final moments using social media as a platform to spread kindness and uplift others. The hashtag #BeccaToldMeTo was created for people around the world to share positive stories about good deeds they’ve witnessed in their lives. With people pouring in to share their stories, the hashtag went viral. Rebecca left behind a legacy encouraging millions, including myself.
Showing kindness and reaching out
It can be emotionally exhausting to hear stories of abuse, addiction, poverty and inequality. Being a Community Mental Health and Addictions Worker student can sometimes be challenging on my emotions but I believe the stories I hear are important. The people I meet require a voice, a voice that will carry them with compassion and share their story so they do not become irrelevant. Like my friend Charlene believes, it’s important to understand people need each other and no one should ever feel ashamed to reach out.
Rebecca’s story shows beautiful human interactions and stories can contain vital healing powers during hardships. Majority of the time it is not the big things that gain grand outcomes… rather, it’s the small actions that produce great achievements. Showing kindness is a wonderful place to start.
