Adventures in Giving

For those of you who are fairly familiar with my blog and have read my about section, you know that I am a compulsive do-gooder.  For those of you who are not familiar with my blog, consider yourself informed of my biggest addiction and I encourage you to read my about section to get a greater understanding about what not only motivates this post, but my life in general.  I’m always on the look out for opportunities to perform  random (and not so random) acts of kindness, good deeds and spreading sunshine. 

Photo Credit:   Roberto Mansi | Dreamstime.com

Today, I hit a new stride in giving.  I don’t know if this is my “rock bottom” or a new high.  My pounding heart and random giggles tell me a mixed story. 

You see, it is my intention to give in creative ways.  I find when I design an outside the box approach to spreading goodness, I generally feel more fulfilled.  Sometimes I am okay with simply giving to a large organization and other times, I’d rather make it a little more personal… like today.  I find comfort in knowing that giving is not only reserved for 501c3 non-profits and I love knowing that there is goodness available at the end of each of my arms in the form of hands that always have something to give from my heart to the actual community in which I live.

I’ve had a lovely random act of kindness dancing in my mind’s eye for several months now.  Today, I surprised myself by deciding to put it into action (this decision caught me off guard since the post office with the white pages was not how I saw this playing out).

Since the past few weeks I’ve been lucky enough to have a few jobs here and there, I find myself completely grateful for all that I have and really do feel over-flowing with love and I want to share the joy I feel in my life by way of paying forward some of what I have received.

So, today while at the post office to mail out a letter to the unemployment office asking for a hearing in order to hopefully clear up a misunderstanding and ultimately get my benefits up and running again, I was suddenly struck very powerfully that it was time to give.  So, after I mailed out my letter, I got back in line and asked for the white pages.  I wrote a short note explaining my desire to give and to please accept this small gift… My hand was shaking the whole time I wrote it and I battled my inner “bad little girl” or something… maybe just my ego who repeatedly said, “This is a terrible idea… you are a horrible person.” 

Photo Credit:  Lksstock | Dreamstime.com

Then I explained to the man standing next to me what I was doing, that I randomly opened the white pages and was going to mail this to the person whose address my finger randomly landed on within the phone book, and was sending this card with these words with a small amount of cash within.  I very clearly said, “I’m trying out new ways to give and I just need to know if you were the recipient of this gift and these words, would you feel creeped out?” 

He read it and smiled.  “Wow.  I think it’s cool.  If I got this, I would simply be surprised… not creeped out.”

So, I mailed it.  I never signed my name.  The only thing I wrote in the return address portion was, “Random Acts of Kindness…. Oregon.” 

I made an effort not to look at the name attached to the address and I cannot remember the exact location which I randomly picked which truly made this a completely random act of kindness…

On the walk home, I thought to myself, I wonder what kind of people live there… Are they young or old?  Are they nice?  Are they people who do affirmations that say “Money is arriving in my mailbox from the most unexpected places” (f so, that would be so COOL!)?  Maybe they haven’t had a very easy life and this is truly something that will warm their hearts and open their eyes to all the wonderfulness in the world.  I know I used to have a terribly closed off heart and I remember all the goodness that brought me to be the optimist I am today….

I guess I’ll never know.

What about you?  What is the most outside the box and creative approach you’ve ever taken in giving?

Thank you. 

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