It always lifts my day to be the recipient of a random act of kindness. We have all experienced these moments of thoughtfulness when a stranger or friend goes out of their way to be helpful or generous without any strings attached. To be random, the recipient should not expect it and the person performing the act of kindness should not anticipate a reward or payback for their effort.
In reality, the kind person’s reward is a warm fuzzy feeling from helping another unexpectedly. Here are some ideas centered around the library for spreading random acts of kindness through our community:
•Offer a ride to the library for someone without a car.
•Surprise your spouse by bringing home a book they wanted to read.
•Donate money for a memorial book in the library for a relative or friend.
•Suggest to your club a special project to benefit the library.
•Take your children to the library to choose fun reading, not just for school assignments.
•Give the library books, videos, cassettes and magazines you no longer need.
•Volunteer at the library to shelve books, check lists, clear tables or help in the bookstore.
•Sign your child up for a free library card of their very own.
•Sign up to tutor an adult in reading, writing or learning English.
•Start a family tradition of reading to your children daily.
•Join the Friends of the Library and support their activities.
•Offer to return a book for your neighbor.
Don’t forget to be kind to yourself as well. Take some time to just browse in the library, read the current magazines, explore a special interest, enjoy some poetry, or surf the Internet. Often we feel too busy to pamper or nourish our inner selves. Think of it as replenishing. That random act of kindness to you or to another brings a feeling of well being that can’t be bought.