Kindness...and chocolate...

Today was a hard day but for a totally different reason.

I dropped off a ton of food at the shelter. It was great. I felt accomplished. I am pretty much done with that portion of my kindness journey. I have other jobs - cookies for the at risk school, a few surprises for people, but today brought unexpected stress.

It was dealing with my own child that brought me the most challenges with being kind.

I had an easy time giving, being kind, giving all I had to others...

But when my daughter was screaming her little head off in the middle of the store? For no good reason I can identify other than being tired?

That was a real act of kindness and patience. I didn't scream, and somehow I held it together.

How do you handle yourself in situations like this? Do you just leave? She's NEVER been this challenging in public before.

I'm putting up the white mommy flag. I could use some advice. And some chocolate.

P.S. For those who are wondering what I did. I took her home, fed her, and put her to bed early. She'd slept 12 hours the night before. Do kids really need more than 12 hours of sleep?

Slow but steady wins the race...

I have been sick having a horrible reaction to my medication...so I've been planning but mostly just sleeping.

Today I went out in the pouring rain to buy 65 cans of vegetables for the shelter. I didn't even feel the rain. I wish I could make a living doing stuff like this. I wish I felt well enough to work all the time period. I'm also working on getting coupons together for our cookie baking party for at risk kids, and waiting to meet up with someone who is donating more stuff for the shelter. Today is a great day. I may not be up to par, but I'm giving what I can.

I always wish I could do more. Being trapped in a sick body can be so frustrating...when you want to do so much and are able do only give a little at a time.

SIGH.

Where I get it from...

Wow...Who knows what hides behind a smile right?

I was talking to someone and I thought I was fine...

And I was crying.

Thank GOD some of my best friends are counselors. :)

On a lighter note, I just want to thank Randy, the manager of Ultra Foods in Lansing. I had to buy 48 cans of crescent rolls. He was the only one who told me come on, gave me my own lane, and made my transaction a BREEZE. (Chicago Heights suggested I come in and out of their store TWELVE TIMES!) Also, Frankie my cashier, was a doll. So, now the shelter has 48 cans of crescent rolls for about a dollar a can. Considering how high their prices can run these days? I am very happy to have lots of coupons, and lot of ladies at the shelter who can print lots of coupons!!

Dad brought his annual donation of wooden cars to the shelter. It's his birthday, and he's donating stuff. Yeah, I know where I get it from.

And I can't do any more than I can do...

We're making arrangements to bring cookies for the children at a local school that helps at risk children. We have a few other irons in the fire, sandwiches for the homeless, a few surprises for some deserving people, etc. I did stop at the wall of peace at my church and write down a family that needs peace, and I added them to the chain.

Is that enough?

I feel like planning, working toward goals, and yet not achieving the bigger things aren't enough kindness.

I am off to have a procedure done to help my headaches. I am sick. I guess that I have done as much as I can do today.

I always want to do more. 2 days and I'm seeing a theme. I guess today won't be the day I save the world with kindness. Probably not even my block.

But we could always do more?

I find it ironic to start the blog today, on the day when most people would be feeling less than kind. My inlaws woke up to find four men with blow torches cutting the major pieces of my brother-in-law's engine out. I thought, how sad, that our economy has made things like this so prevalent. How sad that they felt that was necessary. How fortunate my in laws weren't hurt. I counted blessings.

Then this afternoon I was turning in our donations for the giving tree, 2 McDonald's Arch Cards with $10 for the homeless shelter. Part of our daily kindnesses. I felt bad because 4 of the stars on the tree haven't been adopted. I was talking to one of the directors and she said that's really nothing, that a hundred from the local school hadn't been adopted. Shocking. I remember when there weren't enough charity stars, too many givers. I know this is the world we are living in. I know it. I'm living it. But if we could all do a little bit with what we have, a little bit...a small bit of kindness for others...all those stars could get taken.

Then I thought...Should I have taken more? Did my kindness fall short?

What do you think internet friends? How do you give? What is enough giving?

Hopeful, very hopeful.

My family has been inspired to perform acts of kindness. I hope we can inspire each other. There are small acts of kindness one can do each day. Our goal is to perform as many acts of kindness as possible before the end of the year. We may extend the goal depending on all of you. We've done quite a bit already, but there's almost a month left to the year.

We'll share things you can do too.

We're in this together.

Kindness, are you in?

Yeah, Me too.