Have you ever heard of "Random Acts of Kindness?" People doing things like giving up their spot in line to a stranger, pay for someone's coffee or meal without being asked or even knowing the person, or doing some other seemingly simple act that's completely selfless? Random acts of kindness are helping restore my faith in humanity, and not because I'm being the target of any of these acts, but because I'm the one doing them. Committing random acts of kindness is the best way to spread Christmas cheer (other than singing loud for all to hear). Here's a list of random acts of kindness that you can easily do on any given day at any given time.
1. Donate nonperishables to your local food bank.
2. Donate dog and cat food to your local animal shelter.
3. Bake cookies to take to your local police department/fire station.
4. Donate toys to your local police department/fire station to use in emergency situations to calm down children.
5. Read to, play games, or even just sit with elderly people at a nursing home.
6. Send thank you gift baskets with holiday treats or just cards to men and women currently serving over seas.
7. Take a warm drink to a Salvation Army bell ringer or someone else who works out in the cold.
8. Donate new toys to a children's hospital.
9. Leave a generous tip for a good waiter/waitress.
10. Pay for someone else's coffee/meal.
11. Tape a gas gift card on a gas pump (I would cry if I found this).
12. Hand out gloves, mittens, blankets, coats, jackets, or Hot Hands to the homeless.
13. Tape dollar bils on random items in the dollar store.
14. Tape a dollar or two to a vending machine.
15. Leave quarters on a washer or dryer at a laundromat.
16. Leave a holiday treat in the mailbox for your mailman.
17. Help load groceries into a stranger's car.
18. Invite someone who is eating alone to sit with you.
19. Help someone who has trouble wrapping wrap their Christmas presents.
20. Leave popcorn or candy at a Redbox.
21. Buy an extra meal and deliver it to the first homeless person you see.
22. Pass out stickers or balloons to children (this can be done at Walmart/the mall or at a children's hospital).
23. Tell random people happy holidays or smile at them.
24. Candy cane bomb a parking lot (and leave an extra candy cane if you see a car seat or toys in the back).
25. Give up your spot in line for someone who looks to be in a hurry.
26. Pay for someone's admission to a movie or other inexpensive event.
27. Babysit for a busy neighbor or family member - for free.
28. If you see someone's parking meter is about to expire, pay it.
29. Leave a coupon you have on a table in a restaurant (the next people who come through may need it more).
30. Buy a bouquet of flowers and place them around a cemetery on flowerless graves.
31. Remember to pay it forward.
None of these acts of kindness are too difficult and they could change someone's bad day or week. And always remember to do something kind for someone else when something is done for you.
