Choose Kindness
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see,” Mark Twain. During this year’s Thanksgiving holiday, my sister-in-law, Pat sent out a communication to the family in regard to the upcoming Christmas holiday. The email read: “This year I thought we’d focus our evening on Kindness instead of a wrapped gift. We’ll be playing a bingo game with kind acts on the boards. When cards are called if you have that on your game board and you have completed that act of kindness any time between now and Christmas then you get to put your marker on the game board. Below is a list of the acts of kindness on the boards. Don’t hesitate to go beyond the list below. Enjoy being kind!”
Each year, the family usually has a gift exchange, white elephant gift exchange, or homemade gift exchange, but I loved the idea of doing acts of kindness for the month prior to Christmas. I was more cognizant about doing something kind for someone, including myself. I was encouraged the entire family would feel wonderful each time they sprinkled good will.
Christmas Eve the bingo game was super fun to play. Pat had created festive Bingo cards, but realized she hadn’t thought about the game pieces/markers. Legos and flat sided marbles were used as we got underway. We played four or five rounds and the winners were awarded small gifts. They would call out their acts of kindness and the actual account of the experience. One gift remained after we exhausted our gaming options and Pat decided we would play 20 questions to reveal the wrapped gift. If we uncovered the gift through our questions, the group would win, however, if the questions didn’t reveal the gift, Pat would be the victor. For the next 30 minutes or so, the group as a whole determined what questions would be asked to get to make the most of our clues. We laughed and howled as we approached the end of our chances. On question number 20, we actually figured it out! Then played another number game to discover the final gift recipient. My brother Greg and I went head to head in a couple rounds and he was the big winner!
What a fun night! I loved how everyone in the room made an effort in being kind, helpful, and nice to loved ones, friends and strangers. I’m confident the simple acts made everyone feel good about their actions. We should alway choose kindness, for it can can change the world. Remember to spread goodness wherever you go. Then watch it come right back to you.
xoxox…..Sheryl
To work with me or learn more.
To subscribe to my weekly update and newsletters.
Kindness Bingo Ideas:
Let someone go ahead of you in line
Give a stranger a compliment
Write an encouraging message on a napkin
Offer to take a shoppers cart to a return area
Participate in a fundraiser
Hold the door open for someone
Do a favor without asking for anything in return
Prepare a meal for your family
Send a letter to a friend instead of a text
Snap a photo for a couple/family/friends
Save your pop tabs for a children’s hospital
Spread some encouragement online
Recommend someone your favorite book or movie
Take time to appreciate the sunrise and sunset
Take the time to listen to someone
Hid money in random places for strangers to find
Be kind to yourself
Leave a great review for your favorite restaurant
Pay it forward at your favorite drive thru
Donate to a charity
Call someone you haven’t talked to in awhile
Donate to a food pantry
Use social media to inform others about a non-profit you really like
Smile and say hi to 5 people you don’t know
Support a small business you don’t usually use.
Plan a social event for your friends
Leave a generous tip to waitstaff
Give a treat to your mail carrier
Donate clothing or items to a Goodwill type center
Write a letter or email to a store manager when you received good service
Buy someone a cup of coffee
Donate toys
Make homemade dog treats and deliver to a dog
Send someone a card in the mail
Let someone in the lane as you are driving
Help someone before they ask
Call a relative just to say hi
Recycle bottles
Call a grandparent to say hi
Bake someone cookies
Tell someone you love them
Bring in treats to your coworkers
Wash someone’s car
Read to someone
Mentor someone