Committing random acts of kindness

His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Image courtesy
Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

It's here! Today is the Dalai Lama's seventy-fifth birthday. People all over the world are sending love and wishes for joy to this man who has devoted his entire life to peace, compassion and loving kindness.

Last week, I told you about Se'Lah's call to build a bridge of love through random acts of kindness in celebration of this special day. Dozens of people responded to her call.


People building the bridge

Here are a few of the many individuals who are adding an extra dose of mindfulness to their day as a gift of love to His Holiness. There are many more.

• If you're stumped for a worthy random act of kindness, Winnie Jolicoeur of Secret Notebooks, Wild Pages made a list of suggestions. She also posted a lovely Dalai Lama quote: "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
• Cinner of Me, My four chins, and I has plans for several random acts of kindness, one of which is to sit on a hospital bench after her appointment and lend a smile and an ear to another visitor there.
• For Chris of An Inch of Time, it could be as simple as complimenting someone on their hairdo or paying for the coffee of the person in line behind you. She quotes His Holiness: "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."
• Gayle's gift to the Dalai Lama today, according to her post on Planet M Files, is multiple. She plans to donate books to her library, to send something special to someone she cares about, and to be on the alert for ways throughout the day to commit sudden kindness.
• Marilyn of Delights of the Heart is donating a special tea basket to be auctioned at a fundraiser for children with cancer.
• Teresha at Marlie and Me chose not to plan because she wanted her acts of kindness today to be truly random. She tells of being the recipient of another's kindness when she most needed it. A college freshman at the time, a few weeks into the first term and far from home, Teresha received a call that her mother was in the emergency room with a life-threatening condition. Without hesitation, her new roommate grabbed her car keys and offered to drive Teresha home, saving her agonizing extra hours on a Greyhound bus.

I wish I had space and time to share more with you. Many of the gestures are small and local, but that's the point, isn't it? We spread a little cheer and good will where we stand, where we can, and where see a need.

Happy Birthday, gentle man

His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Image courtesy
Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Celebrate!

If you are the giver or the recipient of a random of act of kindness today, celebrate a bit. Tell us about it and how it made you feel. His Holiness might enjoy hearing about it as well, along with a happy birthday wish.


And bless one another

May our lives be filled with more kindness and love than we imagined possible. May our hearts be so full that we can't stop showing compassion to those we meet along the way.

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We make peace in a million small ways every day.

All text and images, unless otherwise noted, copyright L. Kathryn Grace. All rights reserved.