Great Meadows
Photograph by Nancy E. Rogers

     Ruwena finally reached the outskirts of a village well inside Erwina’s territory.  She watched as an older woman [Matron Trevora] shepherded several children toward one of two horse-drawn covered wagons.  Matron Trevora saw her.  For a moment, they looked at each other.  Clearly, the young girl was a stranger, unattended and without provisions.  So, Matron Trevora decided to inquire and headed toward her.  When she was six feet away, a proper distance between strangers, Matron Trevora stopped and stood still.  She asked in a polite but formal tone, “You are not from this region.  May I be of assistance?”  (Excerpt from Homo transformans:  The Origin and nature of the Species.)

Introduction

In the United States, Random Acts of Kindness Week is celebrated annually.  This year it is the week of 16-23 February.  The notion arose in Denver, Colorado, which established February 17th as Random Acts of Kindness Day.  It has hence spread to other countries.  The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is an internationally recognized non-profit organization.

Random Acts of Kindness

The term random act of kindness is derived from book written by Anne Herbert in 1993, entitled Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty in 1993.  The author’s reported intent was to counteract the notion of random acts of violence and senseless acts of cruelty.

Random acts of kindness are defined as steps or actions taken to help other people.  Most notably, the act is done without any thought to one’s self or an expectation of anything in return.  The act is typically spontaneous; however, it may be planned.  They may be directed to family, friends, co-workers, total strangers, and even animals and the environment.

There is no requirement for an act of kindness to be grandiose or self-sacrificing.  Any small act that will save someone a step or give them a step up – holding open a door, letting someone else go first, offering a kind word or compliment – can lift someone’s spirits even if only for a brief moment.  Ideas of things one can do may be found at https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas.