Recently there has been a lovely outreach of people doing nice things for others and hoping that the act of kindness gets passed on (more about that in this post – http://wp.me/p159Ee-8C).  In fact, a couple of years ago a sweet mom decided to spend her 38th birthday by performing one act of kindness for each year of her life (http://mixmingleglow.com/blog/?p=1358).  She even went so far as to ask her readers to do something nice and tell her about it.  I decided this was a brilliant idea and I will try to do the same for my upcoming birthday near the end of March.  As my first act of kindness I won’t ask you to do something too.  Ha!  Just kidding.  Well, until I’m at number 38 with time ticking down then I’m TOTALLY counting that!

Now I have 19 days to complete 39 (cough — I can’t say that age without some hesitation or dramatic response) kind things.  That is why I’m posting this now.  I need your help.  I need some ideas of things I can do that are relatively cheap (or free) and fall in the category of something I would actually do.  So far on my own I’ve come up with about 10.  I tried Googling “free acts of kindness” and it give you ideas like “smile at a neighbor.”  Lame-o.  Well, at least until I’m down to the last-minute than I’m smiling at everyone and TOTALLY counting it!  I really thought it would be easy to come up with ideas as I’d just take the 38 the sweet nice original lady did and then throw in, “gave out dog bones to sweet puppers while hiking” but it turns out a number of hers have to do with having children.  It would be considered creepy if I tossed loose change onto a playground or went to a bookstore, sat down in the kid’s section and started reading out loud.  There are also a few that, let’s face it, just aren’t in my wheelhouse.

For my first 3 acts (yes I’m counting them as 1, 2 and 3) I’ve written up hand written letters to three out-of-town friends.  I’m always happy when I get non-bill related mail and I hope they will be to.  You know what I’ve learned by doing this?  You know, besides doing random nice things makes you all warm and fuzzy on the inside?  I can’t write by hand anymore.  Seriously three short notes and I need someone to message the cramp out of my hands.  Lost art indeed! 

Anyway — bring on the ideas!  (Seriously.  I’m kinda stressing out.  39 in 19 days?  What am I thinking?)