Thirty Random Acts of Kindness You Can Do This September

Who wants to join me in doing random acts of kindness this September?

I am feeling anxious about all the things happening in our world right now. The pandemic is making a comeback. Hurricane Ida slammed the South and what’s happened in Afghanistan is heartbreaking.

Do you agree we could all use a little bit of kindness in our lives? Tomorrow starts a new month, so it’s a perfect time to get started.

For those of you that read my blog, you know I am a huge proponent of kindness. We are all human and have our good days and bad days. That is just a part of life. If you are lucky, you might be kind to someone who could really benefit from your actions that day.

Kindness Can Be Anonymous

Sometimes, your act of kindness might not even be known. Last month, I saw a man take bottles out of a neighbor’s recycling bin. As he pulled away, two bottles fell out of the bag in the back of his truck and crashed to pieces in the street. I knew this could cause a flat tire, so I went outside and cleaned up all the glass. It felt good; it seemed the right thing to do.

Have you ever been the recipient of a random act of kindness? How did it make you feel? Wouldn’t it be nice to make thirty people feel that way too? Here are some suggestions for you.

Suggested Random Acts of Kindness

• pop a quarter in someone’s meter that’s running low
• let a car go in front of you in traffic
• give someone a compliment
• call a relative you haven’t talked to in awhile
• send a friend a card for fun
• when street parking, pull up so another car can fit behind you
• bring your neighbor’s trash cans in
• leave a bottle of water and a snack in the mailbox for your mailperson
• make brownies/cookies for a neighbor or friend
• offer cold bottles of water to your landscapers
• leave a nice note in your husband/wife’s car
• buy the person’s coffee/breakfast behind you in a drivethru
• do one of your kid’s chores for them
• wipe down the sink you use in a public restroom
• buy the cashier at the grocery store a candy bar
• stop and support a kid’s lemonade stand
• say a prayer for someone
• give a bouquet of flowers to a stranger (Aldi has ones for $3.99)
• donate canned goods to a food pantry
• send a positive text message to a friend today
• let someone with fewer items go in front of you at the grocery store
• donate towels or blankets to a local animal shelter
• cook a meal for a firehouse or police precinct
• cook a meal for a friend and their fanily
• hold the door for someone
• say hello to everyone you see
• thank the next Service Person you see
• slip a kind note in your library book before you return it
• return someone’s cart at the grocery store
• give your umbrella to someone waiting for a bus in the rain

This list is not in any particular order, and it is strictly just suggestions. If something else comes to mind, please feel free to do that instead. There is no right or wrong here.

Some of these gestures are so simple, but they can have a great impact.

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Great Personal Experiences

When Mike and I were living in Chicago, our New Year Resolution one year was to thank every person in uniform for their service when we saw them. (This was years before 9/11.) The responses we received were amazing.

One evening, I was in a Chinese Restaurant waiting on my take-out when a Chicago Police Officer walked in to do the same. I intercepted him as he walked up to the counter with my hand out and said, “thank you very much for your service.” He peppered me with questions, “was my husband ‘on the job?’ ‘was your father a cop?’ He even asked me if I was looking for advice on a ticket or something.

He told me he had 17 years on the job, and no one-not even a family member had ever genuinely thanked him for being a police officer. I had made his day!

My career involved a lot of traveling, and I was in airports almost one time per week. One time, I was in Dallas using a restroom and wound up with a big water stain on my suit. I was rushing, so I didn’t notice water all around the sink that I leaned into. I was so annoyed!

I vowed from that day forward that I would always wipe down the sink when in a public bathroom to prevent this from happening to someone else. It’s fascinating to witness what happens when you do this. It has a snowball effect! Typically, the people on your left and right see you wiping down the sink, and they feel compelled to do it too.

Have I inspired you to start doing random acts of kindness? I have truly found joy in doing them. I sincerely hope you do too. Please leave me a comment and let me know if you plan on joining me in September. Better yet, let me know how your first random act of kindness goes. I’m betting you’ll be glad you did it.