Love In A Clothes Dryer

You know what I love ...? How every time I use my clothes dryer I am reminded of my mother and her love for me.

We never use clothes dyers and instead always hang our washing on the line. Living where I live it hardly rains and is often warm so it has always worked for us. We therefore viewed it (or more so I agreed to view it) as an expense we didn't need.

It has rained all this week and today I had no choice but to use our clothes dryer and when doing so I felt so grateful (like I have said this gratitude thing hits me anytime, any place). I felt grateful to own a dryer when I remembered why I owned one. My mum bought it.

My other half never would never ever have agreed to spending money on a dryer so my beautiful mum, god bless her, bought me one when my second son was born. She told me it was my baby gift and even apologised at the time for giving me such a crappy gift (which it so clearly wasn't!!)

Mum told me that now we had become a family of 4 I'd be needing it with the amount of washing I'd soon be doing. It sat in the garage for most the time she was alive, too big to fit in our small laundry and was hardly used.

Today however and in the past few years (mainly since she has left) it is used more frequently and every time it is I am reminded of her.

Its funny the things that become dear to you when a loved one passes. Sometimes its something as boring as a clothes dryer.

It has shown me though that we never do know how a gift we give to another will touch someone some day. I never would have thought all those years ago that a clothes dryer would hold as much sentimental value as this one does to me.

Free Coffee. On Me.

Someone was treated to a free coffee today. I don't know who they were or what they ordered, all I know is that it was on me.

I wanted to do something nice for someone and randomly whilst at the shops today went to buy myself a chai latte. I've heard about the people buying coffees for others before, a pay it forward type movement, but have never done it myself. Today I did.

I bought my chai latte and whilst it was being made tried to build up my nerve to do it. The cafe was empty at the time which helped me as I knew I could gift the coffee anonymously.

I looked at the menu and noticed regular/medium sized coffees were $4 and checked my purse and I had $4. So as the young guy called my name and handed me my chai latte I handed him the $4 and told him I wanted to buy the next persons coffee. He looked shocked and said "Are you sure?" I told him I was and handed him the $4 explaining that I noticed medium coffees were $4 and most people would probably order that size and asked him to gift the next person who did with the free coffee. My only condition was that he tell them a stranger had paid for their coffee today as an act of kindness to make their day.

Well you should have seen this young guys face! It completely lit up and his smile was so genuinely happy and I bet couldn't wait to do it. That there was worth it for me. He told me I was so kind and I told him I like to do this sort of thing occasionally to show others there is kindness in this world.

It was only small act I know but can you imagine how much it would have made that next persons day? I also hope the young guy today shares what happened and maybe even some day feels inspired to do the same.

Try it some time. You won't be disappointed!

You Deserve It!

 Earlier today I was in a store purchasing a birthday gift for a friend and had a choice of two items. One was cheaper and overall packaged nicer to give as a gift, the other more expensive and in my opinion better.

I stood there for a moment and decided whether or not go with the more pricey item and splurge, or the cheaper one and save. I picked up the cheaper one and went to walk away when I stopped, put it back and grabbed the expensive one.

My reasoning ... she deserves it and deserves to be spoilt. I thought about this more later that day and realised that we all deserve to be spoilt, each and every one of us and that includes me. But how many of us actually do? I also wandered if I were buying the item for myself which I would choose?

So splurge and spoil. It’s a service to you. Its loving to you and you my dear deserve it.

Caring For Another Mans Children.

You know what I love .... seeing a man care for and provide for children that are not his.

In the supermarket earlier I passed a girl I knew and her two children. Pushing the trolley was a man who I know for a fact is not their father. He was playing with them, kissing them and treating them as though they were his own.

When they time came to pay for the weeks worth of groceries I watched as he pulled out his wallet and paid for them all.

I personally believe it takes a strong man, a good man, an amazing man, to love a woman and her children, and to provide for another man's kids.

That man today earnt my respect. Bless him and his heart.

Tim Tam Kindness

These are Tim Tams and if your Australian you will know them well. They are a double chocolate biscuit with the most decadent chocolate cream center.

Tim Tams are currently holding a promotion which requires you to purchase two packets to enter and so I have been. But what I love about all this is due to my excess of Tim Tam biscuits, I've decided to get creative. I have started a Tim Tam Kindness. I take a packet with me daily and bless whoever I come across and feel would benefit from them.

Today I gave a packet to the staff at my sons school front office. They were so overjoyed and all came over to hug and kiss me. It was so heart warming to see how much a packet of biscuits can touch the heart of someone and cheer them up.

I have also given packets to some elderly ladies in a nursing home and will bless my local librarians with a packet when I visit them next week.

Promotion aside I have become addicted to my Tim Tam Kindness and every time I'm at the store I look forward to buying packets just so I can find creative ways to gift others with biscuits. It is wonderful and now its your turn ... can you gift someone biscuits today?

Starting Conversations

You know what I love? How kindness and love spreads.

I was in the supermarket earlier today to pick up a few things. A lovely older lady served me and as she showed interest in my 2 year old (he was climbing up and out of the trolley) I decided to start a conversation with her. We spoke about her grandchildren and how crazy they were and children in general.

Not long after another older couple join the cue and as I pay and leave I notice that they begin a conversation and carry on from where we left off, grandchildren. The whole mood and atmosphere in the line changed. One friendly conversation changed it.

I have learnt people are dying for connection. To be spoken to and seen. It doesn't cost a thing to say hello how are you, and really mean it. Yet how many of us do? The days I do it always reminds me how much I must do it more.

Thank You Letter

Remember the house I drove past the other day. The one with the dog bowl and “paws for a drink” sign out front? 

Well today I wanted to do something nice for them. To let them know that their act of kindness and generosity hadn’t gone unnoticed…

So I decided to write them a card with some nice words (very similar to what I wrote here the other day) and today I purchased a lotto ticket along with some scratchies to put into the card and placed it in their letterbox.

I didn’t sign my name nor mention who I was or where I lived. I didn’t do it to be thanked. I did it to thank them. This wasn’t about me and my ‘kind act’ but about theirs. I wanted them to know how much this world needs many more people like them and I hope it inspires them to continue opening their hearts and to never stop.

Paws For A Drink

For about a month now I've been driving past a home around the corner from me. On its lawn a container of some sort along with a sign. Every time I drive pass I strain my neck and head to read what it says but am never able as I always pass it too quickly. Today I pulled over to read it.

On it it reads "Paws for a drink" and is decorated with paw prints.

As I read it I smiled. I was smiling because of the love behind this beautiful persons gesture. Every day they must refill that container with clean water not for themselves or even their own dogs but for complete strangers they will never meet.

Don't ever underestimate the difference you can make or kindness you can show. It doesn't require you to spend a lot of money or be incredibly talented or skillful it only ever requires that you open your heart