26 Acts.

Here I am again on a Thursday with nothing for Thriftable Thursday.  This makes me really, really sad and I'm definitely going to need to go on a thrifting binge sometime in the near future.  Unfortunately with Snowmageddon headed to our area tomorrow into Saturday, it's not looking likely that I will be hitting up Goodwill or Savers this weekend.  But you never know.  I'll stay positive.

So today I'm writing to tell you what awesome people my husband and I are.  JUST KIDDING.  I wouldn't do that.  I am, however, writing to tell you about a movement.  There's no doubt you have all heard of the 26 Acts of Kindness movement that broke out in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook.  It was one of the things that was so moving and inspiring as the nation pulled together in the face of tragedy and grief. I would read about someone receiving a free gift card from a stranger or about a stranger buying a coffee for someone on Facebook and I would literally start crying because it was just so nice.

As of a week and a half ago, I had not completed one act of kindness - not on purpose anyway.  I don't know why.  I guess I just hadn't been inspired by anything. But luckily, that changed after a short doctors appointment.  When I walked into my appointment I had to fill out all of the new patient paperwork and get my insure card copied, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah.  As I was filling out al  that crazy stuff the nurse commented on my bracelets which are all Sandy Hook bracelets.  She asked, "are those the bracelets for Sandy Hook?"  When I told her they were she said how nice they were and asked where I got them and told me how much she wanted one for her and her parents.

I didn't think anything of it really.  I told her where she could find them and went on my merry way.  But later that day I kept thinking about it and how happy it would make her if she had one.  So after doing a bunch of errands, I went and got 6 bracelets and hand delivered them to her back at the doctors office.  She was so happy and it felt really awesome to do something nice for someone.  I told my husband about it and he told me I was crazy but it was a really nice thing to do.

And then, wouldn't you know it?!  He goes and does his own random act of kindness.  It's contagious.  Jeremie works at a school one town over from Newtown.  They have had cops positioned at the front of their buildings since 12/14 and the poor guys have to stay there ALL DAY LONG. So, the other day, Jeremie being the nice guy that he is brought his cop a coffee.

Unfortunately he had a little snag (literally) when the cup holder in his car ripped the bottom of the coffee cup and spilt it all over.  Luckily, one of his coworkers happened to have an extra cup and they fixed it up no problem.  If this had happened to me there would have been coffee all over my car, my lap, the parking lot.  But thankfully it happened to Jeremie who seems to have all the luck. So the police officer got his coffee and Jeremie's act of kindness was complete.

So, why am I telling you all this?  It's not to tell you that my husband and I are fantastic people because we do nice things for others.  It's to tell you that 26 acts of kindness is still relevant.  In the wake of tragedy we pull together and support one another but as time moves forward we tend to forget and slip back into our old ways.

Let's not do that this time.  Let's honor the people lost at Sandy Hook and the people lost in every violent way, in every school, movie theater, park or any place in America by continuing the 26 acts of kindness movement.  Because now is the time for change.  Now is the time to start treating each other differently.

With respect.  With kindness.  With love. 

I plan to follow through with the entire 26 acts movement and I'll keep you all posted on what I've done.  I hope you will all join me in going forward with this wonderful gesture.