Showing posts with label giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giving. Show all posts

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Birthday Acts of Kindness / Flying Lessons Blog Circle / Kindness Mission


It was my Birthday so I went on a mission! Last year I heard of this woman who gave Acts of Kindness away for her Birthday. What a great idea so I tried it out. I gathered up my jewelry pieces, some candy and made lunches in red sacks. I found this great tag for the bags that said,"You are the recipient of a RAOK (random act of kindness) "Spread love wherever you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."- Mother Teresa" 
I posted on FB my mission and asked everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday to give as well. Most agreed they would. Oh yeah, spreading the Kindness!

Before I could give these things away I had to give to my most wonderful Mom who gave birth to me. Without her I would not even be alive to have a Birthday. I baked her peanut butter cookies and we went to a mixed media meetup group to visit and make art together. I also gave away some of my jewelry to my fellow artists there, they loved it! We had fun!

I gave a homeless man one of the lunch bags I made plus some water and a granola bar. Then when I was driving down the road I saw a homeless couple fighting. I pulled over and gave them two bags and water. The woman was happy but the man wasn't. I kept on my mission to find more people to give to and found a homeless man who was shaking, he had an emergency bracelet on and a country accent. I gave him two bags, two waters and granola bars. He read the paper I stapled on the bag about kindness. We talked a bit and he said he needed some juice. I told him there was apple sauce in the bag and water. He asked if there was money in the bag but I said no I'm sorry not this time. I felt so bad because I had a $10 bill in my wallet but I was supposed to deposit it into my bank account so a check would clear. I really wanted to give it to him. So, I prayed for him instead. I drove around a bit more but couldn't find anyone else. It was time to go to a Library to donate some books and attend a baby book reading group with Ruby ( our baby she's almost 4 months old now). She loved it! She was really looking at the other babies and toddlers. The teacher was so great! I met some Mom's and babies. There was a Mom and daughter sitting outside the library after the class so I gave them each a bag with candy and jewelry, waters and granola bars. The daughter was so excited and opened it up fast. She ate the chocolate, opened the tootsie roll pop and licked it then threw it in the bag and got another chocolate out to eat. Her Mom and I just laughed, then her Mom put the pop back in the wrapper. I chatted with her Mom a bit about making jewelry and my mission to give out gifts. She had never heard of Birthday Acts of Kindness but said she was turning 30 this year and was going to try it. 



As I was driving down the street I saw this cool art car. I had to turn around and leave a bag on that car! As I was leaving it and taking a picture the woman who owned and created this masterpiece walked up. I talked to her and her girlfriend for a while about Sacramento and the art scene here. They were so happy to see a happy artist here because they were not having a good time in the art scene so far. I gave them two more bags with candy and jewelry. I told them about the cool tiled house down the street because it has dragons all over, like their car. They said they would check it out, I took pics of them and I went on down the road. 



A friend of mine wanted me to check on something for her at our Buddhist center. This was great because I let Ruby see the Buddha's and we both got a little blessing. While there I ended up running into an Artist friend of mine and giving him a bag of candy. He was happy to see Ruby for the first time. 
I took three bags with me into The Co-Op, gave two to the women in the herbal section who are so kind to me. They said it would help them get through the day. I gave one bag to the best cashier ever. She also makes great clothes and bags. She said oh there's all kinds of goodies in here with a big smile. I talked to a woman who told me all of her children's names and stories of their births and a family with five children, while waiting patiently for my lunch to be made. I left a bag on the car who parked way too close.  Usually I would have got upset that I had to put Ruby in from the other side but I wished them love and went on my way.


I left a cute note for my husband in the snack shelf. Chocolate eyes! I left a bag for his Mom who's visiting us at the moment. I left a bag in my daughters room as well.


 I went to another store and gave two bags to the cashier and bagger. They were so happy to get a gift and thought it was a great way to spend the day. I left a box of red liquorish on the Redbox box with a note saying, "Take this and enjoy your movie." I gave my daughters dance teachers each a bag. One had her bracelet on immediately with a big smile. I gave two to the Mom's of the dance girls. They said I never get presents and were so happy. It does make you feel happy to give Acts of Kindness. All day I tried to be patient and let others go first, I helped others as much as possible. I was a bit upset with myself for not being able to help this bind woman cross the street because I was in the car with the sleeping baby and it would have taken me too long to get to her, but I did the best I could. Overall it was a great way to spend my Birthday. I came home to a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my husband. I ate some ice cream, watched a movie and my favorite show New Girl ( it was her Birthday episode how cool!) and went to bed. 

Keep on spreading Kindness everywhere you go!

Sincerely,

Chandra

This is a blog circle with my lovely Flying Sisters...


Ginger Deverell - http://redpearcreative.blogspot.ca/2014/01/kindness-mission.html
Laly Mille - http://www.lalymille.com/2014/01/spread-some-love-kindness-mission-blog-circle.html
Sandy King -  http://sandymairart.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/kindness-mission-01-14/
Naz Laila - http://www.agentlerebellion.com/
Kristen Fairgrieve - http://bagladylulu.com/blog/
Lulu Bea (Alaina McGinley) - http://lulubeas.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/kindness-mission/
Karrlin Bain - http://karrlinbain.blogspot.fr/2014/01/thank-you-school-bus-drivers-kindness.html
Kathie Gadd - http://lavenderchalet.com/2014/01/the-kindness-mission
Chandra Merod- http://junipergoods.blogspot.com/ You Are Here!
Lisa Ullrich - http://www.heartsoulcreate.com/kindness-mission/




And this will be featured on Kelly Rae Roberts blog for The Kindness Mission
http://kellyraeroberts.blogspot.fr/2013/09/kindness-missions.html 


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Gratitude Blog Hop


Me in  my shop
 Well this is the month to have gratitude and so my fellow flyers have come up with this blog hop. I hope you come away feeling more grateful for what you have and enjoy the other fellow Artists posts. 

What am I grateful for?

My Shop
The shop window

   Of course I would not be able to have the shop without...

 My Husband.
My Husband
   He has supported me in all my creative en devours. I am so happy to have support in my art. He let my Daughter and her friend paint him, what a sport!

My Creativity
Drawing cut up for ATCs

   I would not have this without my... 

Artistic Family
My Son and Daughter
They are both very talented in art, I learn from them all the time.
My Dad
He is an Art Professor and knows many techniques and so creative.
My Mom
She does doodles, paints and is creative.
My Sister
She makes jewelry, and makes many other crafts including amazing cake and party decorations.

My grateful doodle


I am also grateful for having a meditation practice, all my family and friends, teaching.

All the things I take for granted but shouldn't like my health, life, working limbs (once I broke my thumb and realized how much I needed it), money, shelter, clothes, shoes, food, water, air, a positive mind, compassion and being able to give, and so much more! 

It seems unless we have lived without or had someone tell us what it's like to live without we don't really know what it's like to not have water, food etc. Are there things in your life you could look for that you take for granted? What are you grateful for? I encourage everyone to help those in need any way you can.   (Prayer, food, money, shelter, clothes etc.) I like the Toms Shoes idea of making a product and giving a product. What can you do to help?

So, lets see what Suzanne McRae has to say about being grateful hop......

Sincerely,
Chandra