The random acts of kindness that can change lives

I’ve just finished reading a book by Judith O’Reilly called A Year Of Doing Good it’s the most positive and heart-warming book I’ve read in a long time.

Judith lives in Northumberland, is a mum of three young children and a freelance journalist who works from home. Very often her husband, her kids, her extended family and even her friends drive her crazy with their little ways.

She often thinks she’s not a particularly nice person since they irritate her so much. Haven’t we all been there?

But Judith decided one day to cure her angst by carrying out one random act of kindness every day.

She held doors open at the supermarket for women with prams. She visited elderly neighbours and watered the plants for people on holiday.

And she handed out empty jam and marmalade pots to people and asked them to fill them with coins for the local hospice.

Her local paper backed this “Jam Jar Army” and within a year £10,000 had been raised for the hospice.

I find her story inspiring because, while we often have moments when we want to be Bob Geldof and do something “big” for world poverty, most of the time we drop some coins in a collecting can and think we’re doing our bit to make the world a better place.

But isn’t it often the small acts of generosity and little kindnesses from one human being to another which actually change our lives in ways we never thought possible?

Years ago when I had post-natal depression my friend came round to my house and persuaded me to get out of my dressing gown into some clothes and walk the baby in the pram for an hour. It helped.

When my mum died another friend phoned me regularly to allow me to talk about how I felt. It helped.

So many times I’ve been on the receiving end of kindnesses big and small and it makes me realise that most people at heart are inclined to show a generosity of spirit.

Restoring that faith in human nature is important. This summer we have already read of people who rescued drowning children or collected money for a little boy who needed specialist treatment.

Ten years ago my brother-in-law Bobby donated compatible cells to save the life of his sister Lindsay who had cancer. Last week she celebrated her ruby wedding and being healthy again.

A good deed in a dark world changes everything.

Random acts of kindness help to make our lives positive and fulfilling.

Try a little one today.