If you are active on twitter or Facebook at all you may have see the #26Acts hashtag floating around. Here’s a except from a story on NBCnews.com about how Ann Curry started this movement…
After the experience in Newtown. I thought, “What if? Imagine if everyone could commit to doing one act of kindness for every one of those children killed in Newtown.” So that’s what I tweeted. And guess what? People committed. I said in my tweet, “I’m in. RT if you’re in.” Not only did they commit to 20 acts of kindness, they wanted to up it to 26 acts of kindness for every child and adult who was lost at the school. Some even debated maybe we should include the mother, who died, at 27 acts. Some debated maybe we should include the killer as well as he was struggling and in pain.
What’s really remarkable to me is how many people responded. They are the ones who carried the ball. They are the ones who chose what to do. People would tweet back, “I’ve done two!” “I bought coffee for a guy in line!” “I bought toys for homeless children!” “I’ve got 18 more to go!” or “24 more to go!” – whatever number they were trying to reach.
I’ve been loosely following the story and smiled every time I’d see #26Acts fly by in my twitter feed. Little did I know my friend Carrie was running all over town committing random acts of kindness with her family! Here are the photos she shared on instagram these last few days…
Paying the parking fee for the person behind me at the hospital #26acts
#2 – leaving a $5 off coupon at BBB for the next person that doesn’t have one #26acts
#3 – leaving quarters in the candy/toy machines at Toys R Us :) #26acts
#4 – leaving this on the bathroom mirror at Babies-r- Us #26acts
#5 – Leaving a treat from trader joes on a car in the parking lot #26acts
#6 – leaving fresh cut flowers on another car #26acts
#7 – leaving this note in the book ‘what to expect when you are expecting’ at Barnes and Nobel for a new mom to find #26acts
#8 – Leaving this note in a copy of Women’s Health at Barnes and Nobel #26acts
#9 – chocolate for our mail lady :) – #26acts
#10 – bought coffee for the person behind me in the drive thru at Starbucks #26acts
#11 – buying a random families warm Choctaw chip cookies from Chick-Fil-A #26acts
#12 – a chick-Fil-a card left on a car at my daughters school #26acts
#13 – left 2 lottery tickets on a gas pump – #26acts
#14 – My wonderful husband payed for the toll for person behind him on the way to work this morning #26acts
#15 – bags of gooidies for the local animal shelter in memory of Charlotte Bacon who wanted to be a vet when she grew up – she loved animals #26acts
#16 – Donated some books to our local library – #26acts
#17 – Goodies for the teachers at our local elementary school – cupcakes, cookies and chocolate covered pretzels for the last day of school before break :) – #26acts
#18 – Walmart Gift Card left on a random car – #26acts
#19 – I walked into our local post office with my girls and bought a book of stamps then I told the clerk to please keep them and give them to the next person who came in to buy stamps and have her the note. She was the first person whom I have been able to see a reaction from since starting this journey and she looked at the letter and smiled and said thanks. And my girls said Merry Christmas and we left… :) – #26acts
#20 – Left a bottle of power aid and chex mix for our UPS guy a he has been coming almost every day and I’m sure could use a snack and drink for all of his hard work this time of year – #26acts
#21 – Jimmy swung by a laundry mat on his way to work this morning and handed the note and quarters to a lady doing her laundry – #26acts
#22 – my husband works across the street from a woman’s shelter – their website said they needed baby cleaning items, sugar and powdered drink mix. We have them 2 boxes full – #26acts
#23 – my husband was to stop by the grocery store on his way home from work and buy a gift card and plant it in the store for someone to find. As he was in line at the store a little old lady was in front of him. He said she had 2 pie crusts and a gallon of milk and was fishing thru her purse for change to pay. So he signaled to the clerk to add her order to his – to which she asked if it was ok with the lady, she said yes and Jimmy handed her the note…she read it and turned and gave him a huge hug. Mission accomplished. He can home and told me with tears in his eyes and said ‘can we do more of this?’ And we both agreed we would. #26acts
#24 – I wrote out a handful of our Christmas cards and we dropped them off to a Senior Center – so those who don’t have families or get mail at the holidays would at least have one card to open – #26acts
#25 – My youngest and I took cupcakes, cookies and peanut brittle to our local sheriffs office this morning. She has been talking about the nice police woman ever since :) – #26acts
#26 – This one won’t be completed until tomorrow night – but we are stopping by our local pizza place and paying for the next persons carry out order and sticking this note on their pizza box – #26acts – has bee so rewarding and so humbling. Will def do this more often.
I have no words. I’m more than inspired. I’m in awe of her and all that have taken this idea and put it into action.
You may think something as simple as paying for a cup of coffee or leaving a coupon behind (something I learned to do from my mom) won’t make a difference but I think it does. I think it makes the most important difference, to us.
To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right. ~Confucius
There are times I feel completely hopeless, powerless, defeated. I don’t know what to do. How to help.
“We can choose to be affected by the world or we can choose to affect the world. ” -Heidi Wills – Author
Can I affect the world?
Do I even have the courage to try?
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
? Debbie Macomber,
Even if for just one person. Will it matter?
“Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said,
"It made a difference for that one.”
? Loren Eiseley
I think it does.
View the original article here
