The Year Is Complete

     Well, today was day number 369 (366 days of 2012 + the last 3 days of December 2011)!  I can remember back last December discussing with my daughter Hannah what I was thinking of taking on, wondering if I'd be able to think of things to do every day, wondering if I'd miss any days, wondering if I'd have enough to write about each night.  I'm proud to say that I did, in fact, think of something every day, did not miss a single day, and did have something to write about each night.  And today was no different.

     Continuing with the sense of symmetry I alluded to a few days ago, I decided to finish my year by going back to something I did on just my 2nd day (see that blog post here).  I delivered flowers to the very same nursing home in which I began the year.

     I had my daughter with me today and we went to Wegmans to pick out a nice mixed bouquet.  And believe it or not, I still have no idea what kind of flowers they were, except that they were colorful.  Originally I was going to find a stranger to give them to, but Hannah suggested it would be nice to go to a nursing home where there might be some lonely people who don't have anyone  with whom to celebrate tonight and who might get a real lift from receiving flowers.  So that's exactly what we did.

     We went to the reception area where there was a somewhat bored looking man in scrubs covering the front desk.  I explained that I needed his help and that I wanted him to choose someone who could really benefit from the flowers and that he should give them to that person.  He thought for a bit, and then came up with a name.  I left it to him to deliver them and we were on our way.

     I was a bit surprised to notice that I did feel something different this evening, having now completed my year.  Tomorrow I'll post a blog summarizing some of my thoughts and observations for the year.  For now, suffice it to say that I mostly feel proud and satisfied to have taken on such a significant and worthwhile challenge, and to have completed it with such discipline, commitment, and most importantly, intentionality.  More on that tomorrow . . . 

A Surprise at Wegmans?

     I was heading to Wegmans this evening to pick up a few items that we needed and I was in the mood to do a little surprise.  Before I left home I took out a piece of paper, an envelope, and a McDonald's gift card.  On the note, I wrote "Enjoy this gift from a stranger!  Pay it forward."  Then I put the note and the card in the envelope.  On the outside of the envelope I wrote, "Please open and enjoy."

     As I entered Wegmans, I grabbed one of the handheld blue baskets that you use when you don't have too many items.  Then I surreptitiously took the envelope out of my pocket and put it in the next basket that was on the stack.  I stuck around the general area for a little bit, hoping to get a glimpse of whoever picked up the basket, curious to see what their reaction would be; but after about 5 minutes I went ahead and took care of the shopping I needed to do.

     After I paid for my items, I decided to go out the same door that I had entered so that I could check to see if the envelope had been taken.  Sure enough, it had!  I would have loved to watch how it transpired, just for my own curiosity.  Oh well, I'll have to be satisfied in the knowledge that someone got a nice surprise, and hope that they followed my invitation to pay it forward.

Helping and Happiness

     As I was driving to an appointment this morning, I found myself in a line of cars stopped at a traffic light.  Along the median that divided the two sides of the street walked a man holding up a sign that said "I'm hungry.  Please help."  While I've often ignored these people in the past, today I wanted to help.  As I was about to pull out my wallet though, the light began to change.  Unfortunately there was no safe place for me to pull over without causing an accident and so I missed the chance to help him.  Two good things did happen, however.

     First, a person two cars in front of me rolled down his window and handed the man a banana and what looked like a muffin.  It was probably the driver's breakfast and it was so cool to see him offer it to the beggar instead.  Second, I was inspired by yet another example of the generosity that truly is prevalent, and yet, so often goes unnoticed and unreported.  It made me even more determined to be on the lookout today for opportunities to serve.  And sure enough, just such an opportunity presented itself within a couple of hours.

     On the way home from my appointment, I pulled into the parking lot of my local Wegmans to pick up a couple of items.  As I approached the store, I noticed a woman with one child on her hip and 2 other small children in tow, trying to get them all loaded into her minivan, along with a shopping cart filled with groceries.  I hesitated for just a moment, not wanting to frighten her, and then said to her, "Excuse me, ma'am.  Can I give you a hand loading all these groceries into your car?"  Not sure quite what to make of me, she also hesitated a moment but then said "Sure," as she certainly had her hands full.

     She had 10 or 12 plastic grocery bags to be unloaded and it probably took me no more than 2 minutes or so before I was done.  By that time her kids were safely seated in the minivan and she turned to thank me.  She looked somewhat quizzically at me and asked if I worked there.  I told her that I didn't and that I just saw that she looked like she could use some help and wanted to be of assistance, as I remember what it was like to have small children.  This seemed to surprise her (in a good way) and she thanked me several more times.  I had the feeling she was going to go home and tell her friends and family, "Wait till you hear what happened to me at Wegmans today!"

     It was so fun to offer unexpected help to a stranger, and it surely left me feeling happier and more energetic.  Several times this year I've mentioned some of the research that suggests that practicing regular kindness is one of the most common attributes of the happiest people.  I definitely understand this in a more visceral way, not just in an intellectual way.  It's strange how it works, but it absolutely does.  Maybe we're biologically wired that way intentionally.  I'm really not sure, but I can anecdotally say that nearly everyone I know reports that they feel happier when they are kind to others - a thought well worth pondering - and putting into action.