Random Acts of Kindness Day: Celebrating Five Years of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness is an August tradition around here.

It's hard to believe we've been doing this for five years.  Tonight I read over my first Random Acts of Kindness post.  I remember well the feelings of the pressing weight of an upcoming anniversary none of us wanted to acknowledge, but couldn't forget.

I also remember the need to escape the weight of that grief.

Which lead to thinking of the kindness that had surrounded us during an incredibly tragic time...

And also thinking of the kindness that had been characteristic of the lives of Ruth and Nick.

And so it was that the idea for this day was born.

Once again, this year we ask all of you to join our family in commemorating the lives of our loved ones by celebrating kindness on the anniversary of their deaths--August 18th, 2012.

Each year this event grows.  Through facebook and blogs, people spread the word, and we've been amazed at the response as complete strangers join us in celebrating simple acts of kindness in honor of people we love.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for spreading the word...  Because really, what an awesome opportunity this is to practice kindness.

You can help us spread the word one of the following ways:

• Post a link to this blog post on your blog, facebook, or other social media site.
• Visit our facebook event page here and confirm that you are going to this event.  From there invite friends.
• Pin us on Pinterest.
• (Drag Mary into any other forms of social media/sharing that might be easy enough for her to learn)

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you.  You know that feeling of being surrounded by love when things are difficult?  We feel it every year.  We've felt it from the beginning.  That love and support has always been there when we need it.  We've never been alone.

I love to think that we can share that feeling with others.

(For more about the history of this day see Random Acts of Kindness.)