R.A.K.

One of the downfalls (or upsides, depending on the type of person you are) of working in retail is that you have to deal with a lot of people. These people will be grumpy, needy, greedy, and mean. Through my ten years of experience, I have to say my view on humanity and society has gone completely downhill from the optimistic attitude I had when I started. Not all the people you meet are going to be bad, though. I always have a place in my heart for my happy customers: the ones who understand what I'm going through, who are polite to the people they're talking too, and who make the day better by a simple smile and a kind word. So, while I normally don't care much for my job or the people I deal with, I have to say that a small act of kindness, even if it's just a smile, can change my view in an instant. It brightens my day and I'm able to go about brightening others' days because of it.
Random Acts of Kindness. It can turn this seasoned skeptic into a happy optimist. By being kind, and opening your heart to others, you can change the world. Each act of kindness inspires at least one person to do the same.
This story: Buy A House , was amazing to me. A woman buys a house for a complete stranger. When asked why, she replied simply, "She needed help." While a couple newspapers covered the story for a day, I feel this should have been front page material for weeks. The kindness and generosity of people astounds me, and it shouldn't. While I'm not saying everyone should run out and buy the homeless houses (unless you want to, then go ahead and be a hero to someone that needs you) but I am saying that even the smallest acts can change lives.
This story: Flowers, is an example of just that. A man's boss was excessively mean to him. He responded by buying her flowers. From then on, she was a nicer person in general. She smiled more, she treated people better. It was a small, thoughtful act that completely changed this woman's life.
So why am I showing these stories to all of you? Why am I writing this? Because performing random acts of kindness has become an amazing feat of saintliness when it should be a daily common act. When people need help, there should be people to offer assistance. We, as a society, as a race, have become self-centered, greedy, and too cautious of others to even look at the people they pass by on the streets.
This story: Shoes, shows what happens when you pay attention. This kind old man was selling second-hand shoes and allowed a young girl to polish them for some money. Upon hearing that she was saving up to buy her brother's uniform, the old man took her to the store and bought it for her. This was all witnessed by a man just out for a walk. He was so moved by the old man's act, he told the man he was a hero. To that young girl, the old man was a hero. She didn't have to work for that uniform now.
Helping others can have a ripple effect. Missing is about a family that gets a community to look for a missing local boy by simply helping. They started asking around the neighborhoods and town and suddenly, a large group of people are doing the same.
The most touching story I read wasn't about poverty or helplessness or anything major. It was a small act of kindness in response to an observation: live kindly , is about one family who is trying to spread kindness to others. This post I'm sharing is about others sharing kindness with them. The father takes his daughters out for cookies and is told he's being a good parent by a complete stranger. The mother picks her daughter up from daycare and the teacher gives her an inspiring card because the teacher noticed she looked a bit stressed as of late...
It's the smallest things that effect us the most. Make that small thing a Random Act of Kindness.