Random Acts Of Kindness
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Random acts of kindness example

Random acts of kindness really do change lives.

This week, I was delighted to do one in a charity shop. An immigrant couple and their toddler were in the same shop as me. I think it is fair to say that I live in a place where immigrants are not viewed as particularly welcome. I wonder what it is like to be viewed with hostility and suspicion on a daily basis. I wonder what it is like to live in fear and perhaps particularly after the Brexit vote when attacks on the different seem to have increased.

As children will, the toddler was attracted to a colourful toy. The father presented a £20 note to the woman on the till who ranted that she could not take that. He went to his wife who handed him a £10 note. Again the woman on the till rejected it in an offhand manner.

Now as a mum to tweens and a teen, I still remember that when young children want a toy if they are denied it, a tantrum may well follow. I watched as the couple tried to find change smaller than a tenner and failed to do so.

The woman behind the till did not care. I intervened as the couple became more and more flustered. It turned out the toy was only 50 pence so I threw a pound at the woman who said I was so kind. She managed to find change for me interestingly.

The couple expressed surprise and thanks. The toddler was happy.

Job done for just 50 pence.

It cheered my soul and as it will the universe paid me back with friendly smiles and wonderful surprises.

Random acts of kindness are great. They show the way we should live. They ensure the recipient gets an easier time of things. As for the giver, there is no greater feeling than knowing you made a difference, albeit a small one but perhaps one that brightened someone’s day.

Award-winning writer, blogger, social media consultant and charity campaigner. Social Media Manager for BritMums, the UK's largest parent blogging network Freelance clients include Firefly Communications and Save the Children UK. Works with brands on marketing projects. Examples include Visit Orlando, Give As You Live, Coca-Cola and Kodak. Cambridge Law graduate with many years experience working across three sectors in advice, media relations, events, training and project management. Available for hire at affordable rates.

One Comment

  • Cheryl | TimeToCraft

    I’m so glad you shared this story… and your 50p. It may have only been 50p but at that precise moment it was worth a thousand times more. Just shows what a thought can do. I know I try to spot the moment to help a stranger. Small or big. I also know that strangers have stepped forward to help me, which I shall always be grateful for. The universe has a way of balancing it all up, it seems.

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