Challenge 4: Random Acts of Kindness

Blog This has issued Challenge 4 - If you could name one small gesture someone else has made that had a big impact on your life, what would it be?

I've found this item really hard to think about, let alone write about. I find it very hard to accept help from anyone. I've always been a very independent person who hates to accept help. Mainly because accepting help would mean opening myself up - and possibly to getting hurt. So I find it easier to stay shut. Not accept help, and to me, a random act of kindness would be something that would help someone, and therefore make a big impact on that person - whether it be on their life, their day or that minute.

Mine would have to be back at high school, from The Canteen manager (and I still remember her name!). Mrs Mulett often took volunteer from students to run the canteen. To help with lunch orders, and mainly to assist in serving other students - giving them food in return for money. I was younger than most volunteers, being 14. But I asked whether she would consider my assistance. She took a risk. She said yes. To me, that was a huge random act of kindness - she didn't know me from a bar of soap!

Every Friday I would volunteer - every Friday until I finished high school, throughout my entire lunch break. She taught me how to fill lunch orders, how to count change and bag it at the end of the lunch break, and how to re-stock food. She took me under her wing, and taught me all of these things, and more, which led me to get my very first job at IGA. That experience - and her very kind letter of reference - made the biggest impact to my life. I looked forward to that Friday every week for 4 years.

She made me feel wanted. Needed. The volunteer job allowed me to escape the meanness of the playground. It enabled me to get a job. It held me in good stead and gave me a great work ethic when I started university and got my first graduate job.

Her cudddles when I was having a dreadful week or day at school, her shoulder to lean on, her ears to listen to me, and her time and patience will never, ever be forgotten.