“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

For whatever reason, I was thinking a lot today about little things we can do to brighten each other’s spirits. The other day I found a handmade gift of a ring for me and a collar for Finn on my front porch – along with a handwritten note from my little neighbor who had created them for us. Another neighbor gave me chocolates for Valentine’s Day. I belong to a group on Facebook dedicated solely to giving away things to our neighbors that are no longer needed. (My most recent gift to a neighbor in the group was the result of an instacart delivery fail that had me trying to figure out what to do with the 21 bananas I’d received when I’d ordered three. But that’s another story.) But there are a lot of wonderful, small gestures of kindness we can extend to others:

• Visit a nearby “little free library” and donate a book
• Bring a seasonal potted flower to a neighbor or struggling coworker
• Send a handwritten card to a friend for no reason
• Open doors for others

• Share baked good with the neighbors or coworkers (an obvious choice for me)
• Paint positive stones and leave them behind in parks for others to find and keep
• Leave behind extra quarters at the carwash for the next patron
• Write positive quotes in sidewalk chalk to encourage others

• Pay for the order of the car behind you in the drive-thru
• Design positive, happy bookmarks and leave them behind inside books in public libraries
• Go to a nearby school and pay for a delinquent lunch account for a struggling child
• Complement a stranger

• Put away your phone during a conversation or dinner with a friend
• Smile at strangers
• Support local businesses
• Let people merge in front of you in traffic — or even in line at the store

• When you donate clothes, leave positive notes in the pockets
• If you have an Alexa, ask her to thank your delivery driver for your Amazon orders
• Share positive thoughts and images on social media
• Gift someone a favorite book

• Leave an extra tip for a server
• Donate old towels and blankets to shelters or animal rescues
• Take time to have a conversation with an elderly neighbor
• Dedicate a prayer intention to a different person each day

And these are just a few ideas. How cool is it to think — no matter where we are or what we have, we can always make things better for others. So neat!