This morning there was a bitter wind. The local "storm center" station said it felt like 18 degrees outside. I could hear snowplows and sanders on the roads and, when I looked outside, no one was clearing their frozen cars or walking to get a paper. Perfect time to go out and finish my RAOK.
I had a great idea as soon as I opened my eyes about how to complete the last RAOK and wanted to go right out and do it. I put on my sweats and my fleece and headed out to chip the ice off my car door. Once my poor little car was warmed up and de-iced I completed the last few acts of kindness in under an hour, including 5 stops.
But I'm not telling you what I did.
I will tell you that it involved a token of thanks for people who serve our town: first-responders, clergy and a community support center. The token was an obvious goodwill gesture and did not involve any unmarked backpacks on public benches that could worry someone. It was a token that could be shared by several people. It was left where it would be safe, seen easily by the recipients and had a ribbon card added so they knew why it was there. (I was originally hoping I would see one of these people out shoveling but they were up even earlier than me!)
The last step in my RAOK is to write a short journal about it and send it to Sandy Hook. Another good friend who also did a kindness for each victim gave me this idea. Newtown says they are awash in more teddy bears and paper snowflakes than they can handle. But I'm hoping a short card of what was done for their loved one, without identifying myself, can be another tiny piece of comfort in the coming years.
And so ends the first "act" of my 45. That leaves 44 acts and 363 days. I am adding countdown widgets to my blog page
I am gratified by the encouragement and for the friends who told me they were moved by yesterday's post. I would like to say a little about the response I have received from my online and real world circle. It has been incredibly positive. And it is worth noting that when I was blogging about my intentions I had very little response, which was expected. I only made this public, as I have said many times, to get others to join me or at least think about it. But once I acted and accomplished people were liking and sharing and commenting and joining my new Facebook page. I think that's what people like to see, someone acting on their intentions, ambitions and goals and not just doing them lip service. Walk the walk to inspire others, don't just talk the talk.
Many also didn't realize I was really going to DO something with this project. One good friend confessed something tonight. He said that when I first told him about the challenge he thought 45 was a pretty low bar. He was picturing me holding the door for the elderly, dropping a dollar in the donation jar at the Starbucks counter, and felt I could do better. But now he understands I am challenging myself, trying for more than the convenient, and know I can do better.
As a postscript, I mentioned in yesterday's post that I took a break from the RAOKs to have a birthday lunch with my family. On the way, we drove by a woman standing in the snow with a shopping cart filled with bags of stuff, her "mobile home". I suggested we stop and offer her an RAOK when another woman pulled over, approached her and offered her something. The woman with the shopping cart was resistant but eventually convinced. I'm pretty sure that was a RAOK for Sandy Hook, or just for the sake of kindness. We are a brigade. A movement. A force. Let's not stop now.
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