Dec 8th Kindness

Yesterday was somewhat busy.   I got called in to work to cover a Jo Jingles class because Karen wasn't well, then had to race off to the next class ( the one I was supposed to be doing) which was a mother and toddler group Christmas party.  Excited two year olds running amok whilst yours truly tried to jingle bells and stir the christmas pudding 😀  Then it was off to Hope and Soul - the charity shop I've started to volunteer for.  You never quite know what is going to happen there, and yesterday was a day of people being incredibly kind.

Firstly a lady came in to buy some jewellery made by a local craftsperson.  The total came to £12 but she pressed £25 into my hands and said ' Please take this and use it for someone who needs it this Christmas'.   And off she went almost before I had had the chance to say thank you.   Next in came a young Mum with her two children.  The kids were happily picking up and putting down and asking ' what is this?' and trying to decide whether Grandma would really like a picture frame or a cookie making set for Christmas.  After a while I started chatting to the Mum and she asked if our charity did any work with older people.  I explained that yes, we did - and she said that she was an elderly care nurse and really really wanted to do something, anything, for older isolated people in the local community.  What could she do?  How could she help?  It is always wonderful when someone wants to volunteer - especially when it is someone with a passion .  She went away with lots of information and I'm sure will be back after Christmas to join us in our work with vulnerable, isolated and elderly people in the town.

Then a lady came in and said that she had been doing a ' reverse advent calendar'  - each day putting an item of food into a box to give to someone in need.  Would we be able to give it to someone?   Yes of course we would!  So she brought in several bags full of goodies for us to sort and give out with the hampers which are already underway this year.   The next lady through the door bought a whole whack of raffle tickets......  which is really a way of making a donation isnt it?   Aren't people nice?   In just one four hour stint yesterday afternoon I had a steady stream of people coming into the shop who just wanted to be kind to someone less fortunate this Christmas.  It made my heart sing.

In these days of doom and gloom and Brexit and North Korea and Trump and the rest it is good to be reminded that people are inherently good.  People care.  People are kind.  They want to do the right thing.  They are trusting and generous and thoughtful.   And do you know what?  I genuinely believe that each of those kind people left the shop feeling a bit better when they left.  Because kindness lifts our own spirits as well as those to whom the kindness is directed.  It's a virtuous circle.





If you are feeling a bit fed up, stressed, hard pressed and in need of a lift why not see where you can be kind today?  A tin of food in the foodbank , a fiver in a charity tin, a visit to a friend, a helping hand to someone who needs it.  It will make you feel better because you will be fulfilling your destiny to be a blessing in the earth.