…and Senseless Acts of Beauty

In 1985 Anne Herbert, a columnist for the journal Whole Earth Review, wrote an article with the above heading. For some time, the thought washed in a wave over the world. Good people were doing their best to follow the sentiment, spreading kind acts through their communities. There were, of course, posters, tee shirts, and coffee mugs everywhere.

Then, as all fads do, the movement faded into the background.

I say “into the background,” because, though it is no longer a mainstream thought, the motivation is still there. There are numerous books in print with variations on the above title. There is even a Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17th) on the calendar of “There’s A Day For Just About Everything Now.” (As I write this, today is National Chocolate Milk Day, and more.)

I am not a people person. People who have known me in a certain capacity for years might disagree. They, however, don’t see the anxiety I experience whenever I have to deal with other human beings (often, even human beings I actually know and like). They don’t know the struggle I have to overcome to talk on the phone, or make decisions about people, or (God forbid) assert myself in a confrontation.

In a nutshell, I was treated … unkindly … by peers as a child and teen. I had a handful of friends (some of whom were, in one way or another, misfits like me), but for the most part, people terrified me. I had been hurt (physically and otherwise) by the people around me, and it pretty much shut me down to wanting to be part of the human race. To this day, I often hear myself saying, “I hate people.” I frequently add, “I’m glad I’m not one of them,” to the thought.

It’s embarrassing to confess that because, well, people actually can be very kind and pleasant. Even with those who have been polite and friendly, though, it’s sometimes a struggle to communicate.

I’m a sensitive, an empath in many ways. I absorb energy and it affects me deeply. The energy around me can even dictate how my health will respond. Good energy can take a bad pain day, for instance, and help me deal with it (what would I do without my pets? Natural healers, they…). Bad energy can send me into a tailspin, sometimes laying me out for weeks.

The energy of the world today, especially that which is tearing apart my own country, has been … well, a nightmare. Horrible. Painful. Debilitating. There are many days that I don’t want to, sometimes can’t, get out of bed in the morning. That can be due to pain, exhaustion, seizures and other neurological manifestations. As this blog has been annoyingly consistent in mentioning, Chronic Lyme has a lot to do with that. However, it’s no secret that stress created by a world in turmoil can greatly affect the physical manifestations of disease (and, of course, vice-versa).

People. It’s all about people, and how the barriers of kindness and respect for others have been torn asunder.

And yet….

Random acts of kindness still happen. They are out there. Though the norm has changed, and acts of cruelty, racism, and intolerance are rampant, the kindness in the human heart is still there. At least with some (and I want to say many, maybe even most, though the other kind are louder and get top billing in the press) humans.

One happened to me this past week. A casual mention led to an act of such kindness, that I can’t even type this without my eyes filling with thankful tears. I won’t say what, or who, or give any details, because I don’t want to embarrass the person, should they see this post.

I will say that, in a wonderful way, it blew me away. It continues to do so every time I think of it. It took an old, tired soul, and restored a measure of hope. It affirmed the truth that the good are still out there, and that being kind to others still brings joy.

I’m a firm believer in the butterfly effect, at least where acts of kindness are concerned. This act, and others, will help the energy of good to reach out, affecting the lives of others both connected and not connected to the center point. Those who are touched will be inspired to perform good deeds in turn. Each good and beneficial action will spread that energy. It will create changes, however miniscule, for the better.

Enough random acts of kindness, through this rippling effect that reaches out into the Universe, will make the world a better place. They will create change. They will heal hearts.

They are our hope.

Maybe they are our only hope. But they are there, and real, and true.

My special kind person, know that you are infinitely loved. I wish blessings upon you, as karma and the powers that be reward you for your generous heart. I send gratitude outward, into the starlight, to shine down upon you always.

I am eternally grateful that you are in my life, and thank that very special angel who placed you in my path all those years ago.

All who read this: practice kindness today. Create a senseless act of beauty. No matter how small, no matter how insignificant it might seem, it will make a difference. Do something—some little thing—for another. Smile at a stranger who seems sad. Pay at the drive-through or in the convenience store for the person in line behind you. Tell your cashier (or the self-checkout attendant) that you appreciate them. Call a friend, or send them a text, just to tell them you’re thinking of them, and they are loved.

Create a ripple of butterflies to flow out into the world.

Make a change.

Be the change.

Your kindness and beauty are powerful, and I am so thankful for you.