Everyday I wake up with this incessant need to make a difference. What does that even mean? Whether I am aiming to change the world or to tie some little boy's shoe, I can make a difference today and everyday. Today I performed at RAK (Random Act of Kindness) for an elderly gentleman as I helped him pick up his dropped mail and retrieve his package from the holding box labeled "one" all the way at the bottom of the mailboxes. Knowing absolutely nothing about this man other than he is a few years my senior and finds it difficult to bend down and get back up with my speed and agility, all I can hope is that he passed it on. By that I mean I hope he RAKs someone else. Wouldn't it be ammmaaaazzzing if all we did each day was RAK each other? The world would certainly be a better place for it. Could it possibly be annoying, everyone always trying to help you do something, potentially causing counter productivity for some? So did I make a difference in his life, probably not, but maybe I made his day; at least one could hope.
The first time I came into contact with this idea of being RAKed or RAKing someone was on Semester at Sea. There were a few discussions about it that I had heard of here and there, but it wasn't until I was finally RAKed that I really understood what it was all about. I was having a stressful or difficult day (I know, hard to believe on a floating ship that travels around the world) and when I returned to my room I found an envelope tape to my door. Concerned and disconnected, I opened the envelope to find a tea bag and a note from my friend, Liz. The note said "Enjoy this tea and pass the RAK on!" I couldn't believe it, here I was wallowing in my own sadfest and someone remembered that I liked tea, that I had commented that I would love to try that kind of tea, and was thinking about me enough to drop some by and simply make my day. My whole attitude changed from that moment on. Simple, simple tea bag made my day. You know I returned the favor to Liz by sharing another interesting tea I had acquired on my travels and I also try to pass it on to others.
Sometimes it really is the simple things in life that make your day; someone opening a door for you when your arms are full, a sincere smile, or a note that says "hey, how's your day going?" My day yesterday was made when I got into a conversation with a chatty, little 4-year-old with a big personality about some Dorothy-inspired red glittery shoes. Most 4-year-olds are shy and they will barely leave their mother to come color with me in silence. Not this precious angel, she just chatted away about the shoes and her shoe size and I talked to her about her brother and her mother. Midway through our intense discussion, I was informed that this beautiful little girl speaks not one language, not two languages, but three. She was trilingual in English, Turkish, and French at the age of 4 and well aware of her abilities. Amazing. Talk about jealousy; what I would give to of grown up speaking multiple languages.
So maybe I wasn't RAKed by this little girl, but she did manage to make my day and make a simple difference in my attitude for the day. A simple little conversation about red glittery ballet flats and I was feeling good and somewhat inspired. Stupid, maybe, simple, absolutely, perfect, you know it!
Make it your goal today to RAK someone. Smile and tell someone you like their top, give some change to the person in front of you in line that cannot find it, buy someone a coffee, start a conversation about anything, help someone who is clearly struggling, and have absolutely no desire for them to return the favor; that's what it is all about. You really can change someone's minute, hour, day, month, life with a simple little unexpected gesture.
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