The strangest thing happened to me. I was up early with the baby and decided to go to the grocery store. When I entered Albertson's grocery store, there was a cart full of FREE candy and kid's treats.
I was so surprised- they even had nice candy corn (a treat I think of fondly from having neighbors in Wisconsin who used to give this out to the kids) for free. I still couldn't believe it - chocolate, candy corn, stuffed animals, balloons. I checked with the manager to make sure this wasn't a mistake! He said "Take it all. Give it to the neighborhood kids." Then it dawned on me- how about taking it and spreading kindness to all the kids in the neighborhood!
So I loaded a cart full (and still had to pinch myself because this just doesn't happen to me. I give a lot of free service to the community as a psychologist/coach- yet it is so neat to get something back for myself.) It was really fun in fact. I got one of my student assistants to work with me to attach cute holiday cards to the candy. And even went further to offer to have a fun gathering for kids (a "Cookie Party") in the neighborhood. It was so nice to do, because I always wanted to do something to make this neighborhood more connected and friendly. This California Bay Area neighborhood is so distant and very different than what a grew up with in Wisconsin.
I let my student assistant earn some extra money for college, and let her randomly put loads of candy in mailboxes with holiday cards. I don't even know who got this stuff- yet it was really fun. We still have a bunch more to give out (ran out of holiday cards to attach!)
I don't know, maybe it is possible to add a touch of kindness to a neighborhood where people don't connect? I wonder if it was a blessing in disguise to have this manager suggest spreading kindness to the neighborhood kids with all the free treats.
I wonder if there is kindess karma out there.
