Thursday Thirteen: The Gifters

A few months ago Family Circle magazine began arriving in my mailbox. First I thought it was from my friend Enterprising Author, who happened to be profiled in that issue. Now I’ve given up speculating on the source and am just enjoying the recipes and articles. The February 2008 issue includes an article called “The Gifters,” a short profile of three women — Asha Bandele, Ginnny Graves, and Lori Erickson — who spent two weeks performing random acts of kindness. Some acts had unintended results, at least one was rained out, but overall the process helped the women to learn more about themselves and their communities. Since it’s Thursday, here’s a “Thursday 13” from the article:

1. Hid a prepaid phonecard in the babysitter’s purse
2. Mopped the hall of my apartment building
3. Slipped $10 into a friend’s coat pocket
4. Sent candy to a relative who is a “male role model for my daughter”
5. Dropped off dog treats for a friend’s new puppy
6. Weeded a neighbor’s garden
7. Left a message thanking firefighters for making us safe
8. Sent magazines to the troops
9. Left money in a vending machine for the next person to find
10. Placed a thank-you note on a local gardener’s truck
11. Shoveled snow for a neighbor early one morning
12. Donated a bag of art supplies to a local school
13. Wrote the manager of the supermarket naming a clerk who had been especially helpful

Today’s mitzvah: Take Family Circle’s Kindness Challenge with a random act of kindness (or “sneaky niceness”) of your own!

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