Only the Good Friday is hosted by the eclectic, but multi-talented Shelly.

My friend Luz at New Beginnings (who I’m going to meet face-to-face in Santa Fe next week) is responsible for my discovery of DailyOM which offers a daily inspiration.

Yesterday’s “inspiration” was titled “Small Gestures Make a Big Difference.”

People may not even take notice, much less return the kindness, but you can take heart in the fact that you are creating the kind of world you want to live in with your actions.

When you are out in the world, remember to be aware of others, lend your hand when one is needed, and give this help without an ulterior motive. Through these small actions, you make this world a better place in which to live.

I’ll never forget being on vacation by myself in rural Vermont several years ago.  I was driving through a small town near evening and it was raining heavily.  I was attempting to get to my destination before nightfall and was slowed down by driving through the center of town, combined with the inclement weather.

On my left, I noticed an older woman standing in a park in the rain.  Something told me to stop and see if she was alright. (This was before I had a mobile phone.)  She told me she had taken a walk and couldn’t find her way home.  She couldn’t tell me her address, but described what her house looked like.  The town was so small that it turned out she lived in a retirement home in a large converted old house.

It turned out that she had Alzheimer’s/Dementia and had managed to leave the house for “a walk.”  The staff was relieved to say the least.  I’ll never forget what “doing the right thing” meant to this woman on a rainy evening.

Acts of kindness sometimes take so little effort and time, but mean so much in impacting the lives of others in the world.

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