Dear Reader:
Doesn’t it seem like every time we turn around…someone is mentioning the phrase “A Random Act of Kindness.” I decided to track down the origin of the expression and it lead me down a fascinating afternoon detour.
This is what I discovered:
The phrase “ Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty ” was first written by Anne Herbert on a place mat in a restaurant in Sausalito, California in 1982. It was based on the phrase “random acts of violence and senseless acts of cruelty“. Herbert’s book “Random Acts of Kindness” was published in February 1993 speaking about true stories of acts of kindness.
A random act of kindness is defined as:
A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or a group wishing to either help or to cheer up someone . The act, itself, covers all categories including… to be kind, thoughtful, use your manners, give out compliments, volunteer, and/ or forgive someone.
Anne had an epiphany after watching another depressing newscast in which she saw examples of “senseless acts of cruelty and destruction performed by random acts of violence.” Suddenly she thought to herself….if violence, destruction, and cruelty can spread, like an insidious cancer, to all parts of the globe; then what would happen if the world fought back the darkness (in reverse) with random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty? Couldn’t it also spread like wildfire?
Herbert was right…the ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ idea has spread today through bumper stickers, posters, slogans, conferences, books, talk shows, radio shows, courses, documentaries and movies. When Herbert’s first book on random acts of kindness was published in the early nineties it struck a chord throughout the country and world. The twentieth year edition was re-published in 2013 by the original editors.
I love one idea I discovered, written by M. J. Ryan (one of the original editors) about a special term that defines the magic released upon performing a random act of kindness. It stems from a Buddhist term called “mudita” which translated means sympathetic joy. It is “the unswelling of the heart at the happiness of someone else.”
Isn’t that beautiful?
And guess who got to experience (just recently) a random act of kindness…the kind that restores our faith in humanity.
You might remember that Brooke’s and my Christmas NYC trip was wonderfully crazy and fun…with one exception. Brooke left her pocketbook on the N. J. Transit heading back to Newark , NJ (from NYC) to fly home. Because she didn’t have any ID on her the boarding process was long, stressful, and tedious. (But like Brooke said, she had time to use the restroom and for us to get on the return flight…so she paused in all her anxiety…thanked God for His blessings and just let it go.)
And then….here is the e-mail I got yesterday from her.
YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS, BOO
Well, I received a call MONDAY from NJ Transit and GUESS WHAT??
* Speaking of Winnie the Pooh…yesterday was definitely a ‘Winnie the Pooh’ blustery day…my neighbor’s pine tree came tumbling down.
Some Happy Birthdays and Belated….so many random acts of kindness friends…Happy Birthday Sam and belated Gin-g! You are both filled with sympathetic joy for the happiness of others!
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
How wonderful that someone from NJTransit took time to call Brooke. There are so many people in the world who go the second mile with some act of kindness, but they don’t often make the news. I believe it is NBC news that ends the news every night with a story of someone who is making a positive difference, and that is refreshing after hearing the rest of the news. Thank you for always starting my day with something positive to think about.
Thanks Jo….I believe that it is the random acts of kindness that keeps our hopes alive that humanity can still touch the hand of God when we reach for it.