Think back to when you were a kid, and your parents asked if you wanted to go for a drive and look at Christmas lights. Of course you said yes, and you ended up on a magical adventure full of pretty lights, and snowmen for days. Thinking back on it, you realize that you really didn't go that far, and chances are every time you went for a drive you saw the same exact lights, but when you were little, it was magical.
Parents do things like that all the time for their kids. They are small simple things, but for some reason it makes a huge difference in their lives. It's the little things that really count, not the big things. Honestly my brothers don't even remember going to Disneyland, but they remember driving around to see Christmas lights, and stopping for ice cream at Arctic Circle on the way home.
I walk dogs in my neighborhood, and I have a few faithful companions that love to go with me. I don't need the help, and it actually takes three times as long to get the job done when I take the neighbor kids, but it absolutely makes their day when I bring them, so it's worth it.
It's really a small thing, but it means the world to these little kids. They get so excited when I am home from college, and make sure that I come to get them to walk dogs. Trust me when you mean something to a small child, they make sure that they never let you go.
When I was home for fall break, they were ecstatic to see me, and let me know it. They came to pick me up, and almost cried when I told them that I had to go. Something that seems so little to us as adults, can be huge in the lives of children.
I am a 4-H mentor, and in order for a child to receive a mentor, they have to qualify by having a significant hardship such as divorced parents, a broken home, or something along those lines. I grew up in a home where my parents are divorced, and my father did jail time for bank robbery, so I would have qualified to be in the program.
I wasn't involved in the program in my childhood, but as a mentor I can see the difference it makes in the lives of the children involved. I have one child I mentor, but her brother and his friend usually tag along, and this past week they couldn't wait for me to come to them, so they rode their bikes over to the University to pick me up, because of the impact that I make in their lives.
We don't do anything overly exciting, but the little time we spend together makes a big difference. We typically play kick ball or play on the swings at the school, but this last week I thought it would be fun to take them to the radio station that I work at, so they could see what happens there. They had the best time I have ever seen anyone have in the radio station.
They sang into the mics and I recorded them, so they could hear themselves. They never wanted to leave, because they thought it was so much fun. I spend hours in that room recording different ads and PSAs every single week, and I have never enjoyed it as much as they did.
After the adventure in the radio station, we got some ice cream at the school store, which in hindsight was probably a terrible idea, because they were already hyper, but we did it anyway. While we were in the building, they thought they would be sneaky and slip into the Men's basketball practice. I wasn't sure if they were allowed to be there, so my plan was to keep them in the back, so we wouldn't be noticed, but they had different plans and practically ended up on the court.
Luckily the coach was okay with them being there, and actually encouraged them when they cheered for the team. It's a little thing. It wasn't a real game, and they were almost done with practice by the time we got there, but for those kids it was the coolest thing ever. They got to watch them practice and got to high five all of the players afterwards.
The little things in life can end up making the biggest difference. We don't have to do very much to make someone else's day, and we shouldn't be afraid to make someone's day by a small act of kindness. Let's go make the world a little better every day by small acts of kindness.
#LittleThings #ShortStories #SmallActsOfKindnessThis site uses cookies to help deliver services. By using this site, you agree to the use of cookies.
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