Small Acts Of Kindness

The 13th of November is International Kindness Day and what a better way to celebrate it by doing something nice and kind. As it turns out this is a bit harder than one might expect - you can't volunteer for just one day, and exactly on that day, neither will you be able to rescues a bus full of schoolkids on exactly this day.

Instead I focus on small acts of kindness. This thought came to me when I used a parking lot in which you have to pay for your ticket in advance - the maximum and minimum parking time is 24 hours. While I was trotting over to the ticket machine, a car rolled by, lowered the window and the middle-aged man inside held out his ticket and said "it's still valid for the next hours, take it."

In that moment I was a bit bewildered but I took the ticket, and indeed it was still valid for the next 16 hours. This was plenty of time. While it may have only saved me a measly 3,40€  I have been overjoyed by this simple and small act of kindness coming from a complete stranger.

This in turn motivated me to return the favour. So when I was leaving the car park, ready to throw my ticket away and saw someone trundle to the ticket machine, I lowered my window only feeling slightly creepy and asked them if they wanted my ticket it would still be valid for the next 15 hours.  With the same bewilderment that I felt when this had happened to me, the lady took the ticket and I left.

While I was on my marry way, I began to wonder what other small acts of kindness there are - simple and small gestures that you can do during a normal day that might brighten someone else's. 

Here are some suggestions: 

Let someone ahead in the queue

Cheerlead someone on about something they're unsure 

Talk to your elderly neighbour

Create a care package for a friend who lives far away

Make a birdfeeder

Ask a friend how they are doing - especially the one that always seems happy and strong

Bring a dessert for your co-worker

Give your postman chocolate as a thanks for carrying your amazon packages

Send a cute card to a friend

Compliment your Mama 

Help the stranger who stares confused at the ticket machine

Take part in a sport event for a good cause

Give your change to a beggar

Tell someone how grateful you are for the seemingly small and daily tasks they do for you

Spam a friend with photos of their favourite celebrity 

Buy the person who is behind you in the queue coffee

Hold the door open for someone else 

Pass the coupon on that you won't use

And these are just a few examples. Do you have any small acts of kindness that you would love to share? Leave a comment below!