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Kindness

Kindness All Around

As I start each day, I try to start it in a positive and kind note.  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may know this about me already.  I don’t always wake up in the happy go lucky mood I am in by the time I Tweet it out, but I get there.  Usually I have already had my morning shower and at least one coffee if not the smell of coffee starting my day.  Before I interact with the other humans in my life, I need those few minutes to start the day silently. I wake up J with a kiss and head down to breakfast with Hubby and Apple, sometimes they get kisses too, but it all depends on where they are in their breakfast routine.  Then I think of my morning tweet and send it out into the world.

Sometimes I get back some grumps that can’t believe I wake up all set and ready to go, or why am I so positive every morning and othertimes I get back little notes of thanks or a cheerful good morning. Well the truth is that I am not always like that, but I sometimes force my way into my positive thinking.  Being self-employed can be a very lonely job when working at home on your computer with no one to talk to. And I like to think of my start to the day as my Kindness going out there.  By the time we are all ready for school and heading out we are full of smiles and cheerful hellos for the most part and this is a great way to start your day.

Back in the days before kids and Twitter and Facebook, I did this in a different kind of way. As I would head out to work in the car, I would sing loud and clear with each happy tune and by the time I got to work, I was ready to go in full force. Always ready to greet my coworkers with a smile and some cheer.

There are so many ways to instill Kindness into the world and sometimes it starts with a simple “good morning”. Lately I have been watching more and more people try to reach out and put their kindness out there, just a little more.

In October, I photographed the annual Blissdom Canada Conference. This year our new Canadian Bliss Chicks wanted to have a conference that was full of kindness in social media. Doing a little bit of social good, encouraging all of us to use our outlets to do good in the world. And here we are almost two months later and many of the speakers are still with me in my heart. I share stories I heard from the conference and I share what we can all do if we just do it one step at a time. There is a little truth in the old saying, “Kill them with Kindness”.

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I love all the Kindness I am seeing out there, maybe I pick up on it more because I want our world to be a better place for our children. I want our children to be kind every day and I want their children to be kind.

So I thought I would share two great Kindness stories in hopes that maybe you too will be encouraged to go forth and be kind. And these aren’t my stories.

First off is a new website called Kindness Canada. A website dedicated to sharing stories of kindness throughout Canada. You can submit your own story for that you want to share or you can read others stories in the hopes that it will inspire you to be kind elsewhere. I check in everyday to see what awesome kindness is going on around me.

Second is a blogger I follow on Instagram, Lvdmorethncrrts. For her 30th Birthday she wanted to do 30 Random Acts of Kindness and this past week she set out with her Sister in Law and children and performed 30 Random Acts of Kindness in one day. I followed her throughout the day on Instagram and I just loved it! I loved it so much we discussed it at dinnertime on how we could do some random acts ourselves.  My children thought it was great and wonder what the recipients thought on the other end.  Read about all of her Random Acts here.

It doesn’t matter if your kindness comes out in a few words or a great act, it is the act of being kind towards one another that matters.  Now go forth and be kind!

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Categories: Kindness

A Random Act of Cupcakes

I was hit!

I have known Cupcake Cowgrrl for a few years now, we have met on occasion but mostly we have connected through blogging. Through our love of being crafty, baking and photography.  I have to say that Cupcake Cowgrrl surpasses me on all levels, but if we had met when I had no kids and lots of free time, I would like to think that we would have been fast friends.  Hanging out at a pub, enjoying a beer and talking about our next crafty project.

I have watched Cupcake Cowgrrl bake for a few years now, admired all the cupcakes she has displayed on her blog and even tried a few icing recipes. But, I had never tasted one of her cupcakes, just admired from afar and hoped that one day I would get the chance to taste one.

Then on Monday Cupcake Cowgrrl was tweeting about having the fixings for some lavender infused blackberry cupcakes.   Or something to that effect.  I told her she was free to drop some off for me, totally joking of course.  Well she decided that I should be hit with her Random Act of Cupcakes and delivered a sweet box of deliciousness right to my door.

The Random Act of Cupcakes started at the beginning of the summer, I think and she has been spreading her love of cupcakes and baking around for others to enjoy. I was so thankful to be a recipient.  Believe me when I say, they are so much tastier than they look.  These are just photos, but honestly they are like little bites of Heaven and I am so thankful that I was hit

Thank you Cupcake Cowgrrl!

Random Act of Cupcakes

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Categories: Food, Kindness, Photography, Randomness, Thank You

Not My Story

 I lie in bed awake.  It is midnight, two hours after I turned out the light and promised myself a good nights sleep.  But every time I close my eyes, sleep does not come.  Instead I hear the sounds of metal on metal, a loud sound like an explosion. Screeching tires and then finally nothing.

As I lie there hearing nothing, I am also hearing everything.  I hear the sirens.  I hear the shouts to call 911.  I hear the panic in the voices all around me I hear it.  But really, I hear nothing.

The minutes tick on and as I lay there panicking I know that something is wrong.  He should be home now.  He has class in the morning. Still, I lie there in silence.  Waiting for sleep to come.

I finally fall asleep, surrounded by silence. Panic has left for the night, I realize I must be dreaming, he is fine, just out with his friends.

Then, the doorbell rings.  It is early, we are confused.  Who could be ringing the doorbell at such an hour. They will wake the children.  We creep down the stairs, as if not to be heard. There is someone at the door, but who could it be?

It is then that we realize a parents worst fear.  The police officer at the door is there to tell us that our son will not be coming home tonight. Not tonight, not tomorrow night, not ever again.  You see he did not make it home and those sounds in the night that I heard? I didn’t hear, I only feared I would hear them but, they were true.

And as I sit in the sunshine I remember him, what he was like as a boy, a teenager, a young man.  Almost his time to graduate College. Almost.  He will forever be that young man waiting to graduate, waiting for his new job, waiting for his first love.  Years have passed and life has gone on.  I can smile now. But sometimes when I turn out the light at night, I lie there awake and wait in silence, for the turn of the key in the lock so I can go back to sleep knowing he is home safe with us.

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Categories: Kindness, Memory Lane, Motherhood