Day 3 of Random Acts of Kindness

Yesterday, a friend of mine posted a poignant video on Facebook. It was obviously recorded on a smart phone by a man who understands the meaning of kindness. In it, he’s driving in his car and takes a shot of his brand new shoes then at a shoeless man walking down the street carrying all of his belongings. He stops to talk to the gentleman and learns that he is veteran and is trying to survive after getting himself into trouble. The shoeless man talks about the blisters on his feet and what it’s like to live on the streets. The driver of the car now in his socks hands his brand new shoes to a grateful man with an obvious new energy.  Where he had been weighted down with his baggage before, he was now ready to run and jump. He was smiling and giving thanks to God. Asking God to bless the giver.

We don’t know what happened after the video ends but we can imagine. Two people changed by this random or spontaneous act of kindness and generosity. I wonder what the rest of their day was like. I would imagine that this man with new protective shoes, walked with more energy and more importantly more hope. I imagine the gratitude he expressed went with him and changed all of his interactions with others throughout his day and even farther into the future.

And what about the man who took his new shoes off of his feet and went home in socks? I imagine his day was better too. A kind act or gift to an individual gives us hope. It can be overwhelming to look at the big problems of the world: homelessness, poverty, mental health issues suffered by post war veterans spilling over to their families, addiction, and the list goes on. It can lead to feelings of helplessness but if we focus on making a difference where we can one person at a time, we feel hopeful.

My friend who posted the video of the shoeless man added his own words. He pointed out how the VA failed this man and how the state failed this man but the individual helped him. Then responding to another’s series of what if’s, he asked, what if… we loved our fellow man.

I shared the video on my Facebook page if you want to see it and I’ll put a copy on my website rockinlife.co. Check it out and let me know your thoughts. If you haven’t already, subscribe to Rockin’ Life in iTunes. That way you won’t miss an episode and you’ll help more people find us. Come back for more on random acts of kindness and then a new life enriching habit next week. We’ll also have a fantastic interview with funny lady and youtube sensation, Mollyann Wymer. You might know her as the girl who introduced Drama-mine and Butt-ER. She funny and fun and what a personal story she has. You don’t want to miss it. Have a wonderful hope filled day and we’ll talk again.