A day for random acts of kindness
At times, it feels as if there are more divisions between people now than ever before. Blame politics if you want, or social media, or simply a transitioning culture. Whatever the reason, it can be discouraging to see so many people at odds with one another.
Of course, there is a time and place for confrontation, for disagreement, for standing your ground. But I believe those should be the exception, not the rule. Because more than anything, there is a time and place for kindness.
Random Act of Kindness Day, on Friday, Nov. 2, is a day to acknowledge and act on the fact that it is kindness that can bring us together and help us to find common ground. To see one another as fellow human beings and treat each other accordingly.
The concept is intentionally simple: Do something kind for someone else, whether it be a friend, family member, neighbour or stranger, and encourage them to pass it along to someone else.
You can reach out to a relative you haven’t seen in a while. You can run an errand for a friend. You can buy a coffee for the person in line behind you, or donate blood, or rake your neighbour’s leaves, or bring in doughnuts for your co-workers. The possibilities are endless, and the best part is it doesn’t have to cost a dime to be kind.
The Victoria Foundation has been organizing Random Act of Kindness Day in our region for a few years, and it is one of our favourite days of the year.
We love seeing the schools get involved, with young students colouring “smile cards” and filling them with notes of kindness, to be passed out to residents of senior homes and care facilities. We typically head out in the community on the day itself to see the kindness in action, with one memorable visit that saw us tagging along as the RCMP in North Saanich delivered flowers to patients in hospice. It was incredibly touching.
We also love seeing kind acts and sentiments roll in on social media over the course of the day, as people use #RAKdayYYJ to show kindness in action and encourage others to participate.
From politicians to nonprofit organizations, interested individuals and our own staff, it is a day of overwhelming positivity and joy. I think that’s something of great value these days.
I encourage everyone to get involved on Nov. 2, at your workplace, at school or in your own spare time. To help you get started, there are free promotional materials available for download, along with a list of 101 Suggestions, at victoriafoundation.ca. Sandra Richardson is CEO of the Victoria Foundation.