The author wishes to remain anonymous, edited by Shmuel Greenbaum

Since I founded DoOneNiceThing.com, many people write to me about nice things they do for others or are done for them. I have come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a “small�?act of kindness. Some actions might be less dramatic than others, but each one has the potential to make a big impact on someone. We never know:

�?A man in Missouri told me that his 10-year-old daughter had the idea to give some of her books to a little friend who loved to read but had no books. The father readily agreed to help his daughter assemble some books to give away. But he said she must not give the books to the girl at school. Instead, he dropped them off on the doorstep of the classmate’s home to avoid embarrassing her or her family. Is giving away a few used books a small thing? Not to a poor student who is hungry to read, and not to a father who is proud of his young daughter’s desire to help others.

�?A fellow in Wyoming called me about a nice thing that his friend did: They carpool together in a truck, and on their way to and from work each day, the men noticed another man walking down a long road �?everyday. One day the friend put his old but decent bicycle in the back of the truck, and when they saw the man walking, the friend jumped out and gave him the bicycle. The man was surprised and very grateful. Is giving away an old bike a small thing? Not to a person who can now save hours and avoid pain by riding instead of walking. And not to the giver’s friend who is inspired by his friend’s kindness.

�?A woman in New York told me that she buys a sandwich for lunch almost every day. When she does, she eats half and asks the waiter to wrap up the other half and put it into a bag. When she leaves the restaurant she finds a homeless person to give the leftover sandwich to. Is giving away a leftover sandwich a small thing? Not to a person who is starving.

�?A man I know takes a walk every morning in his California neighborhood, and when he does he carries a package of cookies with him. He hands a cookie to anyone he sees �?neighbors, gardeners, repair crews, delivery people �?and wishes them a heart-felt “Good morning!�?When they see him they call out, “Cookie Man!�?and wave and smile. Is giving someone a cookie and a smile small thing? Not to the recipient who is filled with joy by a simple act of generosity.

�?A marathon runner wrote to me to praise the people who help her train. She is blind, and sighted runners allow themselves to be tethered to her by a loose rope so she can follow the course. She said she has never had a problem finding another runner to help her �?someone always offers, and she is deeply grateful to them. Is wearing a loose rope around your waist a small thing? Not to a woman who can now fulfill her dream of competing alongside others.

Every act of kindness matters, no matter how small it might seem to us.

Used with permission of http://www.PartnersInKindness.org. Kind Words is a free weekly e-mail distributed by Partners In Kindness. Although the content of this e-mail contains copyrighted material, Partners in Kindness allows users who register at our website to reprint them in print, on a website, or on an e-mail distribution list at no cost. If you have permission to reprint this e-mail, please ensure that you reprint the entire e-mail (including this notice). Kindness is like music, art, sports or any other discipline �?it can only be mastered with practice, training, and lots and lots of encouragement. That is what PartnersInKindness.org is trying to promote.

For further information, please visit their website at http://www.PartnersInKindness.org, or e-mail them at [email protected]

from firstIMPRESSIONS Vol. 8.20

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