The unexpected act of (awesome) kindness

Yesterday I was sitting on the beach when a text message came through from my sister that had me squealing with joy and appreciation. It said “Merry Christmas to me to you. Now hopefully that nervous twitch you’ve got in your eye due to the fact your Christmas decos are still up can go away and you can enjoy the rest of your holidays.”

With these series of pictures…

I’m pretty sure Nikki thought something bad had happened with the gasp that she heard from me when I read it. No finer gift could she had given me…truly I am SO grateful from the bottom of my anal-retentive heart. No dead tree to go home to truly is a gift indeed.

Last year before we went away just before Christmas I actually took the tree down BEFORE Christmas because I didn’t want to deal with it after a few weeks away and of course my little sis knew me too well that I would be a panic knowing that things were still up at home (never mind the fact that she is packing her house to move next week).

Thank you SO much Lucy. Truly.

Bad news is that my fiddle leaf that carked it. I know! After a year of boasting about it. Maybe I will be able to bring it back again…those fuckers.

Got me thinking about the joy of an unexpected act of kindness and how much we should be embracing them….in fact I think I may try to make it the year of it.I’m not sure if you saw the Facebook post that went viral in the past few weeks from NSW woman Holly Butcher who sadly passed away from cancer at just 27 years old. Her words about what really matters and what is important have struck a chord with many (including myself). I especially loved what she said about buying “stuff” for ourselves and how we should instead look at doing things for others. So true.

This year instead of going online and checking out that sale or those sheets and adding to cart, why not think about a friend that could use a nice treat and send something their way? How about going over to their place and cleaning for them? Dropping off a meal? Something that may be done for people in times of need (new baby or when someone passes away) but for no reason at all, just because you love them?

I have done this lots of times in the past – buy a little treat for a friend or family member. Send some flowers. Buy someone a hot set of sheets or a wallet or some jewellery just because. Drop a random dinner off. It feels SO good to do it and when it happens to you, unexpectedly like that text I got yesterday? Well it feels EVEN better!

Let’s try and stop and think about what we are doing when we automatically click to buy ourselves something, think of friends, or other people in need. Tell the people that matter that we love them and how important they are to us. SHOW people you love them with acts of kindness. TELL people you love them in a text, a hand-written letter, a thank you card.

In a world so much about ME and NEEDS and WANTS I reckon we could all use a random act of unexpected kindness every month. How about trying to do one a month? I know I have to pay it forward from the treat my sister gave me yesterday, her precious time and doing something she didn’t have to, because she knew that I would appreciate it.

Pretty simple right?
Who’s in with me?
Or have you been given or given an unexpected act of kindness lately?

Comments

  1. I remember chatting to a friend about anxiety & different ways to try to calm it. The next day she arrived on my doorstep with a gift bag. Colouring book & pencils, magazines, a couple of books & chocolate. An emergency kit for rough days. Very unexpected & I really appreciated the gift & the thought behind it

  2. I had a really tough time over Christmas. I had a great time but with a not so easy/comfy pregnancy, I was absolutely overwhelmed and exhausted by Boxing Day. I finally was able to sleep after NYE (a sleepless night but not for the fun reasons). I overslept for SO LONG. My husband knows how much I value getting the Christmas decorations down by New Year’s Day, so while I slept for a ridiculously long time, he and my 6 year old cleared away everything without me having to say a word. It was the best gift ever.
    Your sister is awesome – what a legend 🙂

  3. Stick your fiddleleaf outside! I left mine out all year, and it’s never looked better. Maybe in the frost of winter, being it inside, but most of the time, they often do better outside. Not even my builders could kill it!

  4. I seriously LOVE surprising friends and loved ones with kindness. Nothing beats the feeling you get when you bring happiness to someone you care about.

    How awesome is your sister!

  5. Hold up. Lucy’s moving??

  6. Beautiful post 😍 I think we all need a reminder sometimes.

  7. We all need a Lucy…….and, I’m with you In 2018 Beth!
    I’m going to try and bring back snailmail and send a letter at least once a month, I know how much I LOVE receiving them and I do miss them.

  8. Love this post so much. What a gorgeous sister you have to do that for you. I wish you and Lucy an amazing year. And the message about being kind to each other – whether randomly or intentionally is so important. And it’s something we can all do easily. x

  9. I flew up to Brisbane from Sydney last Monday, 2 days after my daughter has moved up there, and spent 6 days unpacking and helping with the 3 year old. I know she will pay it back as I am going into hospital in Feb and she is coming down to be with me. I feel really good that I went as she said she would still be ‘faffing’ about. (Most likely on her phone!!)

    And yes, I agree, Lucy is moving?

  10. Awesome kindness, I wish you and lucy have a good health and good luck ! , BTW i am with you in 2018 🙂

  11. Anne-Maree Selmo says

    What a wonderful sister you have.
    3 Christmases ago my mum & adult kids surprised me by packing away the Christmas decorations while we were still on holiday – it was THE BEST surprise ever!!!
    And sadly it was the last Christmas we had with my mum as she passed away unexpectedly in the April but my kids have another precious memory of packing away the decorations with Grandma on her last Christmas.

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