Kindness is Infectious

My 7-year-old daughter walks into the room and asks, "Can I sell rocks out front?" Sell rocks? I'm interested to know more. You have heard me talk about my daughter before and how I see her as my inspiration. Well, this week was no different.

My daughter has been gathering rocks and creating pieces of art. She uses markers, chalk, and sharpies. Once she creates a few, she then displays the rocks on a table in front of our house to sell them. Why is she selling them? To raise money for the homeless.

Her heart is full of kindness and she wants to help those in need.

People drive or walk by our house all the time. She waves at them while holding up her sign that says, "Rocks for sale - Raise money for homeless". People are kind and stop to see what a little girl is selling on the side of the road. Her kindness leads our neighbors to join in and buy one of her rocks.

This week, enough rocks sold to raise a sizable amount of money for a 2nd grader.

Her jar of "money for the homeless" was full of dollars, quarters, and pennies. It was time to donate!

On Monday, we took her to a women's homeless shelter here in Portland to donate the money she raised. She got a tour of the facility, met some of the women there, and was able to see who her money was going to help. She was able to see where her decision to be kind spread to help others.

I learned a lesson this last week: kindness is infectious and spreads to those around us.

She took time to raise money for the homeless. Our neighbors joined in and donated their money. This money will help homeless women and children in need.

My goal is to be more like my daughter when I grow up.

Her kindness poses a question for us both:

What is one small thing we can do today to spread kindness to those around us?