Kindness doesn’t always come easy. That is to say, it doesn’t come easy for me. On the other hand, sometimes you gotta just buckle down and do the kind thing even when you don’t feel like it.. That’s what yesterday’s Love Dare task was for me. My task was to do a kind thing and ask the kids to do a kind thing in return. So because Ciena is my main focus through this journey, I decided not to over think it.

First, I grabbed purple cardstock and held it out to her.
“Would you like to color on the paper?”
This probably wasn’t the biggest effort. However it certainly took emotional effort. To clarify where I was coming from, I had recently discovered she had been using my nice paper to do all kinds of doodles on. Consequently, she has a history of taking things without asking regardless of any boundaries we have set. Naturally, I was pretty irritated to discover the missing sheets of paper.

I decided this would be the perfect act of kindness.

First, she looked at the paper, then at me and then away. She stared real long and hard into something I couldn’t see. Finally she said, “No.” So I stood for a second, feeling frustrated, and then said, “Well, I tried.” Internally I knew I could have tried harder or done it differently. I could have handed her the paper and some markers and said, “Here you go, have fun!” Telling her to accept my act of kindness wasn’t the point – I think.

After that I decided I had done my deed for the day. So I finished up some work and we headed to the store. At check out, there was a rack of freshly made cookies. Each bag was $1. My sense of needing to “win” or feel accomplished that I did my task to completion had me thinking about a different act of kindness. And that’s when I saw that three cookies came in each bag, I knew it was a sign. I technically had 3 kids waiting for me to do an act of kindness.

Now, I’m honestly not sure this is what the book wanted me to do: Buy my kids chocolate chip cookies. I wonder if I was supposed to physically do something for them. Or with them. All that to say, I’m glad I didn’t over-think it. I gave Ciena a cookie first – Emily was horrified at not receiving one. However she cheered right up when I handed a cookie to her as well.

The kids were all happy and it felt…. good.

And here’s what happened next: Ciena started talking. A lot. That is to say, a lot more than usual. I guess mom handing her chocolate chip cookies was all she needed to put a little spunk under tongue.

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