July 3 - Unexpected Gifts

Day 184 of a year of Kindness

Today I had lunch with an older family friend. She struggles with memory issues and had a caregiver join us. The lunch was on a beach and I thought my friend might like to go for a swim. I was prepared if she she wanted a swim, but her caretaker didn’t have anything to wear. I offered her the extra bathing suit and cover up that I had with me.

While we were eating lunch after the swim, I noticed that the caregiver looked fantastic in my favorite beach cover-up. I told her so and asked if she wanted it. She did! She’s been having a difficult week and it lifted her spirits. She’s going to keep it in her car in case she has an unexpected beach day in the future.

Something like this happened to me once after I complimented someone on their fun necklace during the holidays. They immediately took the necklace off and gave it to me. It was fun to do something similar today.

Science of kindness: Generosity is kind because people need to feel valued and seen. Generous acts also boost happiness - it activates the brain’s reward centers, releasing dopamine and serotonin, which elevate mood.#bekind #kindnessiscontagious #kindnessisfree #kindness