One Act at a Time

Jeffrey Russell shields his sister from the sun as she runs the Boston Marathon, caught in the background of a news broadcast. Image source: WBZ-TV

Jessie Russell, a 26-year-old from West Bridgewater, MA is not a typical woman. Not only is she a marathon runner, but she is also a marathon runner who has lupus. Diagnosed with the disease in her junior year of high school, Russell has not let lupus discourage her from accomplishing great things.

One of the things that makes running a marathon especially difficult for those with lupus is being out in the hot sun for too long.  This is something so many of us take for granted, even if we are not endurance runners in the least bit.  By the 14th mile of the marathon, the sun started to be a bit too much for Russell and she thought about calling it quits at the nearest medical tent.

In a swift and loving act of kindness, Jessie’s older brother, Jeffrey, rushed to a nearby toy store and bought a small child’s umbrella to help her finish the race.  He stuck by her side for the near entirety of the marathon’s remaining 12 miles, shielding her from the sun’s rays and only stopping at the very end to record her valiant finish on his phone.

Perhaps most fittingly, Jeffrey explained that he chose an umbrella with a shark pattern on it because it reminded him of his sister’s “tenacity.” I love how her brother even paused to think about what umbrella would be most characteristic of Jessie, what would spur her on, and even lift her spirits. That is true sibling love right there.

I think that this brief story illustrates that it is the little things that count. I know this sounds cliche, but really think about it. Huffington Post could have featured a different marathon runner who overcame insurmountable obstacles, rising out of poverty, immigrating from another country, etc.  But instead, what makes this article so interesting to us is that it branches out from an obstacle (Lupus) and shows how something as simple as a small child’s umbrella can hold so much significance. I think that when we can take innocuous or common place things and turn them into something great through our kindness, that is what makes amazing human beings.

Link to original article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/29/lupus-umbrella-boston-marathon_n_5233636.html

On saturday evening I went with a couple of friends out to dinner in Easton, and happened to discover a “Little Free Library” on the walk there.  The “library” was essentially a red wooden box with a glass window perched up on a wooden pole, reminding me of a friendly, oversized birdhouse. When I came closer and realized what it was, I was pleasantly surprised.

I was not quite expecting this innocent book exchange, to be honest, because I have the impression that Easton isn’t the greatest area. My friends were similarly intrigued and a little surprised.  One of the first things my friends said in reaction to the library was, “How do they make sure no one steals them?”  It seemed like none of us could quite grasp the idea that the box operated under the assumption that people would be kind and responsible by returning all books borrowed. It was hard for us to imagine that no one would exploit the little free library.

I realize criminals’ top priority is certainly not stealing books, but this still alerted me to the unfortunately pessimistic way in which we tend to view the world. Maybe it is realistic, maybe it’s cautionary, in any case, we are well aware that there are a lot of bad people out in the world, to state it frankly.

While the little free library brought me to this somewhat disconcerting conclusion, I could not help but feel glad that the library existed in the first place.  And it appeared that people actually used it! Yes there might be people who end up taking advantage of the library, but most will not and ultimately, it will help bring joy to some Eastonians.

Source: http://moms.popsugar.com/Doctor-Knits-Hats-Newborn-Babies-34457105#photo-34457119

Dr. Robert Sansonetti from Scarborough, Maine not only welcomes babies into the world but also offers them a precious gift, a gift that they and their families will likely treasure for the rest of their lives.  This simple yet powerful present comes in the form of a tiny hand-knitted hat.

Interestly, Dr. Sansonetti sort of stumbled upon the idea to create the hats. It started one Christmas when he gave his teenage children a book called “Hat Heads,” which is about a man who decides to make 50 unique hats to match each of his friends’ personalities.  Inspired by the story, and with the help of knitting instructions in the book, Sansonetti’s family began to create their own hats.

Sansonetti’s first knitted hat was actually not intended for an infant. He made a smaller hat as a sort of practice run, but quickly realized that it would be perfect for the newborn infants he delivered.  He gave his first knitted hat to the next baby he delivered, and the mother was touched.  Sansonetti reports that it was the look on the mother’s face that inspired him to make a real commitment to giving out the hats.

Since then, Sansonetti has made more than 200 hats for each new born baby. Although he is busy he finds the time to knit the hats while waiting for women to go into labor.

Now just pause and think about how something so mundane becomes so amazing. It is not that the hat is especially valuable in a monetary sense, nor unusual because hospitals typically provide a pink or blue hat anyway, but what makes these little “baby beanies” so unique is that they were made by the deliverer himself. Sansanetti remarked that his hats “give the baby a special, unique personality that doesn’t seem to shine through with the standard hat.” Medical environments can be so cold and unemotional–which I understand is a natural reaction to the many tragedies that doctors face regularly–but in this case the beanies seem to cement a unique bond between the delivery doctor and his patients, which I wish was more prevalent in the medical fields.

Ultimately, this is a great example of an act of kindness that branches out in many directions. The mothers/families are happy, the babies will cherish the gift for years to come, and it brings Dr. Sansonetti joy. What’s more, some patients even provide Sansanetti with yarn in gratitude to his kindness, and Sansonetti has a blog with a picture of each newborn baby wearing his/her knitted hat, spreading joy to internet users.

Link to original article: http://moms.popsugar.com/Doctor-Knits-Hats-Newborn-Babies-34457105#opening-slide

Check out Dr. Sansonetti’s blog: http://drbobsbabybeanies.blogspot.com/

This past weekend I went home for Easter dinner with family and my grandparents told a very interesting story relevant to my blog. Strangers ultimately decided to pay for their check at a restaurant. I have heard several stories about kind strangers who pay for another couple’s check in my research into this topic, but I never expected to see it happen to someone I know!

My grandparents experienced this random act of kindness about a week ago at an average Italian restaurant, and frankly weren’t sure how to respond to it.  My grandfather asked the waiter for the check and he responded with a simple, “It’s been taken care of.”  My grandparents were very confused at the outset, wondering if there had been a mistake, perhaps the chef had messed up their order in a way they were unaware and covered the expenses. They then noticed a man across the room looking at them with a small smile who raised his drink to them, indicating that he had picked up the check.  He was sitting with his wife and they both looked pleasantly on at my grandparents.

Now maybe my grandparents aren’t typical people, but they explained that the exchange made them feel a little awkward. They were grateful for the kindness, for sure, but weren’t really sure how to respond in this situation.  They wondered if they looked poor or helpless in some way. They decided to walk up to the couple and thank them. In conversation, they discovered that the other couple, who was also on the older side but not as old as my grandparents, were the parents of five children, lived a few towns over, and that they like to periodically pay for others’ meals as a simple act of kindness.

The awkwardness was amplified when my grandparents said they live in Montgomery, which has gained the reputation for being a rather wealthy neighborhood, especially in comparison to where the other couple lived. Although my grandparents live modestly and are unlike the typical Montgomery resident, they couldn’t help but feel a little guilty and awkward that the couple had paid for their meal, on top of the fact that the couple has five children as compared to their two.

I may be cynical here, pointing out where acts of kindness go wrong, but I just find it interesting how sometimes acts of kindness turn out more beneficial to the giver than the recipient. I doubt that the other couple’s happiness was actually diminished by finding out my grandparents are from Montgomery.  It’s not always about being kind to whoever “deserves” it the most because how can you really make these decisions anyway? Overall, I think this story just shows that acts of kindness are more complex than they might seem on the surface…they aren’t all about making someone else happy in that particular moment. And yes my grandparents felt confused and awkward temporarily, but they took it for what it was and there was certainly no harm done.

I know I encourage everyone to do more kind acts in their everyday life, and you might think to yourself, I just don’t have the time! Stop that! There’s tons of options you can accomplish even on your busiest days. Just take a look, and enjoy my audio slideshow!

https://www.wevideo.com/hub/#media/ci/177305894

Link to original source

These are great, some of them even give you a thought-provoking positive perspective on the world.  For instance, “there is always a new food that you haven’t tried.” Facts like that don’t necessarily come as a surprise, but it is still important to remind ourselves of little facts like these when we’re feeling down.

Some of my other favorites include:

“Some window washer’s surprise the kids at children’s hospitals by dressing up as superheroes.” – (Go look at the pictures, the window washer dresses up like Spiderman and it’s precious!)

“A chemical called oxytocin is released when people cuddle, helping to heal physical wounds” – What! That’s crazy. Hugs really do help.

“Spiders can’t fly” – It’s the little things guys, just take a moment to be thankful for that.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/09/golden-retriever-festival_n_3731865.html

Did you know that the golden retriever breed of dog originated in Scotland? Did you know that there’s a golden retriever festival held in Scotland every year since 2006? Me neither! I just found out today, and the pictures are adorable.

In 2006, the very first Guisachan Festival was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland (didn’t know any organizations like this existed either), where 188 golden retrievers and their owners congregated for one big furry party.  The festival has been held every year since then and has attracted even more guests, with the most recent festival welcoming in 222 golden retrievers.

In addition to general merriment and socializing, they conduct dog shows at the festival. How they are able to deem which dog deserves an award out of literally hundreds of nearly identical dogs, I don’t know. And on that note, I wouldn’t be surprised if owners lost their own dogs amidst the sea of retrievers! But that’s besides the point. Regardless, the festival seems to be a fun way to bring together people with similar interests, even if their interests happen to line up with a particular dog breed, and the dogs seem to have a blast too.

I think the whole notion of dog breeds is a little weird, that people often have favorite breeds based on how cute they are and sometimes stick exclusively to those breeds in choosing pets.  I don’t know the rules behind the event, but I would hope that if some of these golden retriever owners had another dog of a different breed that they would allow that other dog to attend the event as well. Anyway I might be thinking too much into this, and not trying to take away from the adorableness of the Guisachan Festival or anything, but I certainly hope they didn’t discriminate!

Original article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/09/golden-retriever-festival_n_3731865.html

From newarkadvocate.com. Article by Anna Jeffries

Back around Christmas, long time Newark resident Brian DeGarmo found a cell phone in the parking lot outside where he works at Mental Health America of Licking County.  Brian turned in the phone, and the phone’s owner repaid Brian by buying him a bright red electric scooter.

This is a seemingly simple story, but there is much more to Brian than meets the eye.  In 1981, Brain had been in a car crash that sent him into a coma for 6 days and left him with serious brain damage. He was unable to drive or even work and had to endure an arduously long recovery process with the help of the former Executive Director of MHA, Paddy Kutz. As his own sort of repayment for Kutz’ kindness he now works at MHA helping out in whatever way he can, recycling, shredding papers, etc.  Brain DeGarmo is loved at the office for his warmth and genuine kindness. He chooses to help out even though he does not have to and often picks up trash and recycling on his way to work.

On that December day, Brian was walking to work as he usually does when he found the cell phone. Rather than place the phone in a lost and found he wanted to ensure that it made it safely back to its owner so he promptly told his boss at MHA.  Upon returning the phone to its owner, the owner wished to make a donation to the foundation. Instead, Executive Director, Pam Roberts, wanted Brian to receive some recognition and something truly helpful to him.

Brian had been looking at pictures of scooters so Roberts asked the owner of the phone if he would buy the scooter for him.  He obliged and Brian has been ecstatic about his scooter ever since. He uses it to travel to work, especially now that the weather is getting nicer, and seems genuinely happy as he zooms around the parking lot at MHA.  I love how the pay it forward method is really illustrated throughout this story: Kutz’ kindness towards Brian DeGarmo, followed by DeGarmo’s contributions to MHA and others in general, and the phone owner’s kind repayment to DeGarmo.

Source: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20140401/NEWS01/304010030/Newark-man-receives-scooter-good-deed-wants-pay-forward?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW2islTrIZ0

I’m not really sure how I feel about this whole story.

This past weekend a video surfaced on Youtube of a woman in a scant bikini getting tased in order to raise money for charity. Allegedly, the woman charged people (almost all men I’m assuming by the looks of the crowd) $100 to watch her get tased.  In the 39 second video she lets out a shriek of pain and quickly regains her composure, turning around to smile brightly at her audience and the cameras.  I can’t help but suspect that she over-reacted to the taser, screaming louder than necessary, and as a result, the whole thing is just very…sexual.

Now this is definitely an interesting idea, utilizing something inappropriate and perhaps misogynistic and turning it around into something kind and helpful. The caption on the Youtube video read, “Raising money for charity all the horn dogs within 20 ft each watch her get tasered for charity.”  These “horn dogs” end up contributing to a good cause by engaging in their inappropriate fixation.  Maybe it is smart to take advantage of the bad in the world and turning it into something good.

But doesn’t this end up encouraging their behavior, and ultimately, perpetuating it? Not to say that guys aren’t allowed to enjoy looking at women in bikinis, but there comes a point when they start looking at women like a piece of meat and not a person anymore. That’s the issue I have with it.

Certainly there are always going to be people out there who continue to objectify women and go to great lengths to look at them in bikinis (or less of course) but should this be celebrated or at least normalized in the way this video has implied? The horn dogs who paid to watch her get tased end up being validated for their horn-dogginess, and that just does not sit well with me.

Source: http://globalgrind.com/2014/04/05/bikini-clad-woman-tased-for-charity-video/

I know this isn’t exactly a typical act of kindness, in fact, it’s one that was made possible by years of scientific research and a team of skilled doctors. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to post this video because it made me smile, and more importantly, appreciate what I have in my life.

On March 24th, 39-year-old Joanne Milne received cochlear implants to help her hear for the first time in her entire life.  Milne had been born deaf due to a rare condition called usher syndrome.  The disease also caused her to lose much of her sight, and she became legally blind in her mid-20s. She has lost much of her senses, perhaps the ones we most take for granted.  Imagine a world where you have never heard music or the voice of a loved one. Imagine losing your sight on top of that.  This video captures Milne’s reaction while trying out the cochlear implants.  She is emotional to say the least, and with good reason.

This video resonated with me because I feel like we often forget about what we have to be thankful for.  It can be as simple as being able to see and hear properly.  As Milne told the Journal of the UK, “Hearing things for the first time is so emotional, from the ping of a light switch to running water. I can’t stop crying, and I can already foresee how it’s going to be life-changing.” I think it’s amazing that she points out such subtle sounds like the “ping of a light switch,” things that we hear all the time without really noticing.  I think we should all just pause for a moment everyday and really soak in our world around us as if we have just gained our senses.  Ultimately, taking the time to really appreciate what we have is an important part of being a happy, healthy person.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/39-year-old-deaf-woman-hears-for-first-time-175051301.html