Yes I know, I know I have become deliquent about updating my blog.
Sorry, I've been a bit bogged down with finishing the first draft of my thesis which is now done so I feel like I can write again.
Anyhoo. In honour of my 24th Birthday I have decided to undertake twenty-four random acts of kindness.
As of 8:30 this morning I am already well on my way here's what I've done so far.
1. Last night I shared a cupcake with my friend Stephanie who, for extenuating circumstances, will be unable to attend my party.
2. This morning I left a note for my room mates on the front door wishing them a beautiful day.
3-8. I handed out 6 flowers to people on the way to work. This was quite the experience, the first person who got one was a man who I came upon standing outside a vetrinary clinic with his cat and I simply handed him the flower without saying anything, he thanked me. The next two people who I shared flowers with needed to be reassured that I didn't want anything in return for the flowers. The fourth accepted and wished me well and the fifth and sixth seemed genuinely touched by the flower they received. I also had two people decline the flowers. I didn't know anyone who I gave the flowers to and I didn't tell them why I was giving them out. I found this to be a humbling experience.
9. I dropped a thank you note off at the Starbucks which I frequent while I'm at work.
10. I gave the commissionaires in the lobby of my building a box of timbits.
11. I shared a box of timbits with my colleagues.
12. I circulated a card for a colleague who was adopting a baby
13. I posted a picture in a bus stop wishing passers by a beautiful day.
14-15: I wrote thank you cards to my swing dance instructors
16-23: I made Stars saying something nice about all of my swing dance class mates and handed them out at the end of class.
24: I shared things I liked about two people who attended the class that I didn't have stars for with the entire class.
Follow Up:
Some interesting things started to happen after I started this endeavour. First when later speaking to one of the commissionaires who I shared timbits with earlier in the day, she told me that after I brought her timbits that someone else brought her coffee. She told me that no one ever shared things with them and asked rhetorically whether it was her Birthday, then I told her it was mine.
Sadly my colleague who was adopting was not able to adopt the baby he and his wife had been promised as the mother of the child changed her mind.
The picture I put in the bus shelter was gone within 12 hours, I'm optimistic someone took it home.
When I went out to dinner after Dance class everyone shared something that they liked about me.
A week later the girls who regularly serve me at starbucks thanked me for the card and gave me a free drink.
In terms of what I actually did, in most cases I didn't tell the people I was sharing with that I was doing these things in honour of my Birthday, I felt that it was better left unsaid, the exception of course being at swing.
I can't wait to do it again next year.
