I am the master of coping out at Lent. I once gave up French
fries, a food I rarely eat. Another year, I gave up coffee. I was nine. I’d
watch my family and friends challenge themselves by depriving themselves of
sweets, junk food, and comforts, while I just didn’t.
I started
thinking a while back that it was high time to re-evaluate how I spend my Lent.
I realized that maybe giving up stuff isn’t the thing for me. In the pursuit of
happiness, a word I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately, I decided to change my
mindset. Instead of giving things up, I’ve decided to do the opposite. Instead
of taking away things I enjoy in my life, I’ve decided to bring greater
happiness to other people.
I’ve always
been a huge fan of random acts of kindness. Long before I started my blogging
career, I was a frequent follower of kindness blogs. I love reading about the
creative ways people choose to give back to others. Some of my favorite blogs are
about people who worked as “secret agents” to hide gift cards and other goodies
around public places as gifts for strangers, and others about people who
challenge themselves to acts of kindness every day.
Despite
being an avid reader of kindness blogs, I’ve never actually done any true act
of kindness. My dad was always great it. When we’d go out to lunch at our
favorite greasy spoon after church on Sunday, he would always get the bill of a
different table at the restaurant- whether it be a young mother with her child
or a table of teenage boys. He was always careful to remain anonymous, making
sure we ran out of the restaurant before they knew who had paid their bill. I
always admired this action and hoped to emulate his kind ways, yet I never did.
Hence, I
decided to make random acts of kindness my mission for Lent. 40 Days, 40 Random
Acts of Kindness (or more if I can find the time). I don’t know exactly what
direction my acts of kindness will take, but I’m preparing by buying lots of
sticky notes, Starbucks gift cards, and cookie making materials. At the same
time, I’m a poor college student; I don’t have the money to fund extensive RAKs
or even lots of small ones. I want to challenge myself to find ways to help
people without spending money- whether it be tutoring a freshman, doing my
roommate’s laundry, or lighting candles at the grotto for people who are sick.
I hope that
by the end of Lent, I will have brightened people’s lives. More importantly, I
hope to become more aware of the people around me whose lives need to be brightened. In college it is
so easy to get caught up in classes and extracurricular, over looking the
friend down the hall who is sick, heartbroken, or having a bad day. By the end
of this time of reflection, sacrifice, and discipline, I hope to see the world
a little bit differently.
