CAKe: Acts 1 & 2

It's the most wonderful time of the year! And, it's the time of year when we bring back our Christmas Acts of Kindness...everywhere (CAKe)! After coming off of a season of gratitude and reflection, I can honestly say this is one of my favorite traditions. I love that we find ways to spread kindness - big and small. I often operate in a bubble. One that shields me from the hurts and wants of the world. We have been blessed with so much that it is hard, at times, to realize that there are so many who have so little. I'm thankful that we have moments like this to pop the bubble we have been living in and reach out to those around us. We actually started our acts of kindness even before Thanksgiving. When we were in AZ, we had the opportunity to visit the giving machines in Gilbert with the Tanners and my parents. I love that we got to share this tradition with them. Jeff, Danny, Jonas, and I each got to pick a donation item we wanted to give (and then we added a few more!). Again, tears filled my eyes as I became aware of the simple needs that I take for granted, like feminine hygiene items or outerwear. My heart was warmed as I saw Danny and Jonas carefully consider all the items and thoughtfully pick the one that resonated most with them. I wish we could clothe/feed/help all those individuals these items are to be used for, but we could at least do a little for some of them.

Once the calendar switched to December, Jonas was ready to keep our acts of kindness going. We chose to start with the "snowball fight". He really enjoys dressing in all black and utilizing whatever ninja skills he has to drop these goodies off at an unsuspecting neighbor's house. This year, he chose to spread the kindness to two kids in our community that he doesn't really get along with. One kid is just more hyper and less focused than Jonas (which annoys him at times). The other kid hasn't always been kind to Jonas or others. He really struggled to decide to do that house. Ultimately, his heart softened and he reasoned that giving kindness might inspire kindness in return...even if this kid will never know who it was from. Jonas successfully dropped the donuts and milk at each door without getting caught. We'll see how far the snowball effect goes!