Kindness Matters
Service is my love language, so typically in friendships and relationships, being a "doer" comes naturally for me. If you're having a hard time, it doesn't come natural for me to hug you and offer sweet encouraging words. I'm usually awkward and just don't know what to say. I hate that about myself, but it's the way I am.
But I know how to show up and clean your kitchen, fold your laundry, pack up your house, or make happen whatever that thing is that needs to happen. I send the cards, I remember plans we made and I'm good at following through, even when it's not convenient. And sometimes that feels one-sided on my part, not because my friends and family don't care, but because that's not their love language. They may be the ones who have the perfect words to say or the hug that's needed at just the right time.
But ya'll, the past few weeks, my people have showed up in the most thoughtful ways and I"m a little overwhelmed. Time after time, I've been the receiver lately and it has been such a sweet surprise to me that I want to remember.
At the beginning of the year, I was talking to a friend about how in the coming year I really wanted to be committed to getting up early in the mornings and having quiet time. Since she's a morning person, she agreed to texting me every morning and making sure I'm up. When we talked about this, I really thought it would be a couple weeks and then just die off. But it's almost March and she has been so faithful to text me every morning, even when I don't reply for an hour, or I text her that I'm up and then go right back to bed, which would be more times than I care to admit. But she still does it, every day. I'm kind of humbled by her faithfulness in that small thing.
Then last week, a friend sent me an unexpected card with a Starbucks gift card and the sweetest note about how much my friendship meant to her. It was just so unexpected and possibly the sweetest note anyone has sent me.
So then Tuesday was Valentine's Day. Since it's another year and I'm still representing the single ladies, I suppose this holiday has the potential to make me sad, but it usually doesn't. I actually love giving fun little valentines gifts to friends and coworkers. But anyways, I'm at work and a florist shows up with a beautiful bouquet of red roses. I open the card and there's a sweet note from another friend telling me how special my friendship is to her. So then, a few hours later I'm on my lunch break and my boss texts me that more flowers have been delivered for me. My sister had sent the prettiest bouquet to me and I can't even imagine how much money she spent to make me feel special on Valentine's Day, but it worked.
And this is a small, random act of kindness, but every week I forget to put out my trash. I don't know why it is that I can remember to pay my bills and keep up with 5,023 other deadlines at work, but I can never remember trash day. So it might be a trash can fairy, but I'm pretty sure it's my neighbor who has started setting out my trash every week. Isn't that the sweetest thing? I suppose I should be embarrassed that my neighbor has noticed how difficult it is for me to be an adult, but I'm not. I'm just thankful for a thoughtful neighbor.
The moral of my story is that kindness really matters! Think about someone around you who could use a note or a thoughtful act of service. I promise it will matter to them. I know because I've been on the receiving end and it really, really means so much to be appreciated and noticed.
But I know how to show up and clean your kitchen, fold your laundry, pack up your house, or make happen whatever that thing is that needs to happen. I send the cards, I remember plans we made and I'm good at following through, even when it's not convenient. And sometimes that feels one-sided on my part, not because my friends and family don't care, but because that's not their love language. They may be the ones who have the perfect words to say or the hug that's needed at just the right time.
But ya'll, the past few weeks, my people have showed up in the most thoughtful ways and I"m a little overwhelmed. Time after time, I've been the receiver lately and it has been such a sweet surprise to me that I want to remember.
At the beginning of the year, I was talking to a friend about how in the coming year I really wanted to be committed to getting up early in the mornings and having quiet time. Since she's a morning person, she agreed to texting me every morning and making sure I'm up. When we talked about this, I really thought it would be a couple weeks and then just die off. But it's almost March and she has been so faithful to text me every morning, even when I don't reply for an hour, or I text her that I'm up and then go right back to bed, which would be more times than I care to admit. But she still does it, every day. I'm kind of humbled by her faithfulness in that small thing.
Then last week, a friend sent me an unexpected card with a Starbucks gift card and the sweetest note about how much my friendship meant to her. It was just so unexpected and possibly the sweetest note anyone has sent me.
So then Tuesday was Valentine's Day. Since it's another year and I'm still representing the single ladies, I suppose this holiday has the potential to make me sad, but it usually doesn't. I actually love giving fun little valentines gifts to friends and coworkers. But anyways, I'm at work and a florist shows up with a beautiful bouquet of red roses. I open the card and there's a sweet note from another friend telling me how special my friendship is to her. So then, a few hours later I'm on my lunch break and my boss texts me that more flowers have been delivered for me. My sister had sent the prettiest bouquet to me and I can't even imagine how much money she spent to make me feel special on Valentine's Day, but it worked.
And this is a small, random act of kindness, but every week I forget to put out my trash. I don't know why it is that I can remember to pay my bills and keep up with 5,023 other deadlines at work, but I can never remember trash day. So it might be a trash can fairy, but I'm pretty sure it's my neighbor who has started setting out my trash every week. Isn't that the sweetest thing? I suppose I should be embarrassed that my neighbor has noticed how difficult it is for me to be an adult, but I'm not. I'm just thankful for a thoughtful neighbor.
The moral of my story is that kindness really matters! Think about someone around you who could use a note or a thoughtful act of service. I promise it will matter to them. I know because I've been on the receiving end and it really, really means so much to be appreciated and noticed.
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