RAOK: How I Celebrated Turning 25

It's been a while since I blogged, and there is a very good reason why. This month I set most everything aside and focused on putting a little more good into the world. I also went back to Illinois, which brought with it a cancelled flight, but that is a different story. Sort of. Illinois played a part, too.

As you all know, I participated in GISHWHES 2013. One of the list items I completed for my team was to video tape the reaction of someone I performed a random act of kindness for. After seeing how 3 out of 4 of the family members reacted (the 4th was indifferent), I decided I would celebrate turning a quarter of a century old by giving back. 

I had a very hard time taking pictures of all of my acts, mostly because I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. "Hey, I just did this nice thing for you. Can I document it in a picture that I will be sharing with the whole internet?!" Didn't sound very fair. It made it seem like I wanted recognition, and that I did not. However, in order to hold myself to completing the acts, I signed up through Random Acts, and was sent materials to pass out describing the whole RAOK thing. In return, I was to document, through video, pictures or blog, my random acts. I did not request any monetary grants from them. Everything that cost something came out of my own pocket.

Sometimes the "random" part is lost on me. I totally planned for most of these. Some of them happened randomly, but for the majority of them, I knew I wanted to do specific things, sometimes for specific people. Anyway, here is my list (and some pictures) of my acts. 

Amber's 25th Birthday RAOK:

1. Helped a mother with a stroller carry her items/held the door open for her at the UPS store.

2. Sent formula to a mother/infant in need.

3. Donated $25 to Cloth for Everybum to get items for their lending kits.

4. Paid for a car in the drive thru at Taco Bell.*

5. Donated art supplies to Long County Head Start.

6. Gave the director of Long County Head Start the ThirtyOne bag the items were in.

7. Donated a car seat to a child at Head Start that did not own one.

8. Donated $10 to a friend participating in NaNoWriMo.

9. Sent/delivered soap bits to 3 cloth diapering mamas.

10. Baked cupcakes for a friend who was having a bad day.

11. Donated household items to a (formerly) homeless veteran who had just gotten into a trailer.

12. Bought groceries for (formerly) homeless veteran.

13. Paid for the person behind me in the toll booth.

14. Bought a cell phone case for a friend, just because :)

15. Bought pizza for friends, just because :)

16. Left a gift card on a strangers table at a restaurant.

17. Tipped the pizza delivery guy 75%.

18. Returned loose shopping carts.

19. Got a friend a cloth diaper advocate (mini diaper) keychain.

20. Donated $25 to relief in the Philippines.

21. Cleaned trash up in my neighborhood after stray dog got into garbage cans.

22. Returned the neighbors garbage can to their house from the sidewalk.

23. Passed out cards with encouraging/inspirational sayings to strangers at a store.

24. Brought medicine to a friend in need.

25. Volunteered at our local Bountiful Baskets site.**

*I was inside Taco Bell and this act triggered a line of random acts that continued for 4 cars.

**I volunteer to unload the truck/distribute every other week, but stayed the entire time to help out the main volunteers as people came to pick up their baskets.

A lot of these things I didn't want to count, because they are things I do on a regular basis, but after searching the Random Acts site for ideas, decided to count them since others were. I completed 25 random acts in 23 days. There were technically more, but again, I do those things all the time and didn't want to count them. It was a very humbling experience. A lot of the acts I performed were either instantly, or soon after, returned by others. I realized how much I could change a life with a simple gesture. Something that I think is no big deal, but means the world to the receiving party. I vow to continue to do the simple things I do all the time, like returning carts people left out, holding doors open, and helping when I see someone needs it.

Not all of my acts were met with gratitude. One lady threatened to call the police on me for offering to help her unload her groceries so she could attend to her crying baby. I guess I came off as a creep, even though I had my kids with me lol.

There is that saying "Be the change you wish to see in the world." That is what I am doing. A small act of kindness can literally change someone's entire outlook on the day. I'm so glad I decided to do this. This was definitely one of the best birthdays so far.