Random Acts of Kindness (Week 19 DLP Challenge)

The week 19 challenge for the Documented Life Project (DLP by Arttothe5th) was to incorporate RAKs (Random acts of kindness), either given or received.  After much thought, I decided to use something from every single “happy mail” that I’ve been blessed with since joining the DLP group to represent kindnesses received (happy mail is an optional aspect of the DLP group when members exchange scraps and handmade items in the mail).

I also wanted to represent random acts of kindness given, but I didn’t want to get specific.  I chose to mention the intention we set as a family on our cross-country (USA) trip to look for opportunities to do random acts of kindness daily.  Yet, as I contemplated how I wanted to capture this, I realized that I wanted to focus more on the realization I had within the last year that I need and want to make an attitude of kindness more of a way of life.  The more focus I’ve given to my mental energy and thoughts, the more I’ve realized how judgmental and critical my initial thoughts, almost subconsciously, often were about people.  I was surprised by this and have been making an effort to change.  I don’t know if it’s due to social stereotypes, media, or past experiences, but it amazed me to really become conscious of some of the thoughts that went through my head as I saw various people going about their lives.

Now, I try to pay more attention to my thoughts and reactions and to replace any divisive thoughts with a loving energy, looking for the best in people and viewing us all as part of the same family.  Frequently, this all goes on in my head (and heart) only, without any contact with anyone else.  I simply want to be feeling love and seeing the beauty in all those I encounter, even if it’s just a family in a car ahead of me at a stoplight.  This may seem like a more simple act of kindness than filling someone’s gas tank, leaving an extra big tip, opening a door, or offering to take a family’s picture at a national park, but it actually takes much more focus and effort for me to practice this mindfulness in each moment, to choose my thoughts and energy mindfully and lovingly.  I wonder how many of us aren’t even aware of our thoughts and energy as we rush through our days.  I find it easy to forget to do this, especially when extra stress seeps into my life, and I need to remind myself regularly to be more attentive to my thoughts and energy.

It was actually a bit challenging to use something from each happy mail (pictured above) that has blessed my mailbox and coordinate the pages and keep track of whether each sender was represented.  This was a fun way to “count my blessings”.  🙂

Sometimes, when negative thoughts or worries start to play through my head, I’ll start singing in an attempt to switch to loving thoughts and energy.  The song, “Love, sweet love” is a common one for my mental playlist and seemed appropriate to use with this challenge (on the cover of the flap in journal pictured above).

The saying about religion and love (on the inside of the layout pictured below) brings hope to my heart when faced with dogmatic discussion from those around me.  It speaks to my heart and soul and the wishful part of me that hopes for harmony in the world.  I respect differences in culture, appearance, and experience and celebrate the variety that makes this world such a mysterious place.  My prayers are for respect and harmony with one another, not that we all need to be, think, and act alike.  People have often commented on my “rose colored” glasses/outlook.  Without any intent while making the page, now that it’s done, I see that the page reflects this rose colored perspective, literally!

The card with the music note heart on the left side has the word “love” sewn onto it.  This was my first attempt to free hand sew a word with my sewing machine and I was pleasantly surprised that it came out legible!  🙂  This was another technique learned in the Field Guide Creativity class at the John Campbell Folk school.  When my teacher, Susan Edmonson, demonstrated writing with a sewing machine, I thought, “wow” and “yeah, right, like I could ever do that!”  Well, it’s not as hard as it looks.  🙂

I was glad to find some symbols in happy mail to represent various cultures and beliefs!  This page unfolded from the options found in those happy mail envelopes into what it wanted to be.

The tag inside the envelope captures a few of the thoughts that went into these pages.

Additional journaling on the back of the page (pictured below) addresses my hopes and prayers and wonderings.  I taped the journaling paper in so it can be lifted up to reveal more personal thoughts and references on the underside.  Lesson learned!  When planning a lift-up flap (versus turning the way a page typically does left to right), you need to write on the back of the paper the opposite way (upside down) from the front, which I neglected to do since I did all the writing before adding it to the page and without thought to how it would flip (up instead of over!).  The personal comments on the underside of flap refer to recent prejudice encountered that disturbed me and prompted the prayers on the front of the flap.

My hope/prayer/wish is that we will find a way to get along, to love and respect one another, to choose to interact with loving-kindness, to live in harmony with other people and nature.  You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.  Namaste.