I've always been a big believer that a little more kindness, compassion and community would be a good thing for this world, not least here in the middle of big ole cowtown. Random Acts Of Kindness, RAOK, can only be a good thing, surely? Anything that brings a smile to someone's face or a moment of joy can only be a good thing, right? Even when the person doing the act receives no tangible reward for doing whatever they did, nor even any acknowledgement if they did it anonymously.
My problem, as ever, is being perpetually broke and so many of the suggested RAOK or those performed by other people are simply out of my reach no matter how much I would love to be able to do them. Now before you say it, I know there are a lot of suggestions out there for things you can do that don't cost anything, yet a number of those are things that I do anyway - smiling and talking to people, holding doors open, sharing cookies with the neighbours - you get the idea.
Luckily with Christmas coming it's a little easier to think outside the box. So since I believe that Christmas is a time for a little magic and love, kindness and compassion, Operation Magic has been born. Last year I carried a handful of signed sealed Christmas cards in my pocket and gave them to people we saw all year, such as the lady in the ice cream store, just because. This year I'm going to expand that to people all over, people in stores, neighbours, including ones I don't, or barely know, the flier guy, and some of the other people who I see all year around. Gonna leave candy canes in neighbour mailboxes, share cookies when I start seriously baking cookies for cookie season - ok I bake cookies all year but not in quantity since someone in this house is diabetic and not SUPPOSED to eat cookies - unfortunately he LIKES cookies lol So the only time I make large batches is Christmas, and why not share?
Christmas cards, cookies, candy canes, messages in the snow - a little experimenting showed a way to colour the snow in much the same way as in the summertime I and the local kids drew pictures all over our sidewalks - nothing exciting or expensive or important, but maybe it'll raise a smile here or there. And that's really what it's all about.
Also going to register a handful of books with Bookcrossing and release them around the area and deliver stuff to the local Salvation army, and anything else I can think of. Suggestions are always welcome.
I wish I could buy coffees and sandwiches or hand out gift cards or whatever, it's just beyond my means, so I'll do the best I can with what little I have to bring a little Christmas magic to my part of Rundle and Sunridge this year.
Merry Christmas Calgary. May there be plenty of RAOKs this year - all year long. Here's to a #BetterYYC #YYC #RAOK
Colour me crazy, as long as that colour is purple.
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