Train Seat

The Metro can get really busy and one car that I was on was packed at one point. I was sitting down near the door of the train car. When the train gets that busy you often are glad you're the one sitting and not the one being pushed around or squashed in between two people's bags. Although this was the case I noticed an old woman standing a couple feet from me. I did not know when she was getting off but I tapped her on the back and made a signal like would you like to take my seat. She was reluctant at first but after a couple seconds nodded yes. I stood up, held onto a railing, and let her take it so she could be more comfortable. We said a couple words to each other and smiled. It was a small act especially because I was getting off in a couple stops anyways but I know that the woman was grateful to not have to be standing in that crowd of people...and when I got off she was still there.

Gave a Compliment

While shopping (which we did a lot of) and I was definitely bored of at times. I really do not like shopping too much but anyways...I liked a shirt that a woman was wearing. Everyone has such neat, unique style in New York. I was right next to her in a store and made eye contact with her and complimented it. It seemed like she was actually thrown off by my compliment and was not expecting it but smiled at me and said, "oh thanks!" Making contact with her and saying something positive to her made us both smile and while still in the store about five minutes later she was still smiling! It was a great feeling even if it was as simple as saying something like, "I really like your shirt." Everyone should try giving someone a compliment a day...but make it genuine.

Fallen Clothes

While walking down a New York street there are many vendors selling different things. One of these was a smaller table with baby clothes that said things having to do with New York. I had no interest in this but saw that around three shirts were knocked on the ground (which is a dirty and busy area with people constantly walking.) The vendor selling the shirts was also gone. I just bent down and picked up the shirts from the sidewalk which many people were walking over and possibly on. I arranged them so they would be seen and then kept on walking. I never saw the vendor and do not know if he or she knew they were on the ground but I am sure they would have appreciated my small gesture.

Carrying a Heavy Suitcase

There was an older woman who looked like she was having trouble with her suitcase going down the stairs of the Metro. When I saw this I asked if she would like help carrying it down the stairs. She quickly said something like, "oh yes that would be great." I lifted it up and carried it down until the bottom where she said something like, "that was so kind thank you so much." I said you're welcome and we went our separate ways but I did something that I felt good about and was complimented by saying I was kind...exactly my intention. And it only took a good thirty seconds but made me feel happy and like I did something which actually helped her!

New York

Over spring break from (Monday April 6-Thursday April 9) I went to New York with my mom and sister. It was so much fun and while there I did four acts of kindness. I also took some pictures and posted them to my Flickr site.

One of them (or a couple of them) are of this sign which my mom found a week before in New York which is hanging from a building or apartment. It was amazing to see and I thought it was going to be a piece of paper but instead was a bigger piece of wood painted all different colors and said, "If we all do one random act of kindness daily we just might set the world in the right direction."

I also noticed many people doing and talking about acts of kindness.
One of these were all of the people who helped my mom, sister, and I with directions when they saw we were looking at a map. One woman actually took the time to walk with us a little bit and bring us to where we wanted to be. Another time while on the Metro we heard two men talking about acts of kindness...I do not really remember their conversation in detail but it was really neat.

Also we went to visit my mom's friend from college and they gave me these New York Times articles called the Metropolitan Diary where New Yorkers write about their day. A lot of these were of acts of kindness in some way...a woman in a coffee shop tells another woman to sit down and tell her her story this woman is speaking to everyone in the coffee shop about her problems.

Collage is Done!

I finished the collage yesterday. It took awhile, a lot longer than I thought to glue everything down, but I like it a lot. It was sort of annoying too because my hands kept getting sticky from the glue and everything kept moving around but it was fun! I am glad I did a collage and maybe I will do more creative/artsy acts of kindness now. I hope my friend likes it too : )