Random Acts of Kindness

Setting an Example for Our Kids
article by Cindy G Foust

Happy June, readers, and for those of you keeping up out there, we are at the halfway mark of 2018. Can you say 221 shopping days until Christmas? Good Goobley Woobley…I’m just trying to figure out which bikini I’m taking to the beach. I don’t have time to be worried about what I’m going to ask for Christmas! I have got to make some time to get to the mall, because I also have some graduates to shop for while I’m there. Oh, and a few weddings, too.

It is that time of year, isn’t it… lovely brides and grooms joining their hands in marriage? Gosh, I remember all those years ago when Scott stalked me at our 10-year class reunion and begged me to go on a date, and then asked me to marry him. Even though it’s been nearly 23 years, I still remember what an exciting time it was.

When Cassie emailed me that this month’s issue was about weddings, I could hardly wait to get to my keyboard and crank out my column. That’s kind of a lie, I mean, what in the world can I contribute about weddings? Other than give you a recap of my own, but what kind of story would that be?

There was this one time, though, that I went to my co-worker’s wedding in Shreveport, and I didn’t tell my parents where I was going. It wouldn’t have been that big of a deal, except that when I was sitting in the smack dab middle of this big church, with a packed to capacity audience, I noticed that someone on the bridal decorating team thought it would be a good idea to put some tulle-like chiffon material under the roughly 40-50 candelabras to catch the wax. Wait. Isn’t that flammable? I kind of thought I might be at the wrong church, like maybe it was a royal wedding or something, because in addition to the 2,000-3,000 candles, they also had like 22 bridesmaids. The only thing that did was give me plenty of time to sit and stare at those candelabras and wonder just how long it would take for the hot wax to spill over and hit that chiffon. I’ll tell you how long it took – about 21 bridesmaids long, and then it was like simultaneous combustion and I can tell you, the only thing I remember thinking was I was going to be trampled to death, right before I burned up to death, and the only thing they would be able to identify on me was the red dress I was wearing. And, my parents didn’t even know where I was at…it’s not like I could text them my good-byes because we didn’t have cell phones during the dark ages.

So, you are probably wondering if the fire department came, and the answer to that would be no, several of the groomsmen were able to run to the fellowship hall, the toilet, or somewhere and get enough water to throw on the fires (yes, there were multiple ones by this point.) After the flames were extinguished, we finally got the bride down the aisle. But I guess the excitement of nearly burning the church down got to one of the groomsman (either that or smoke inhalation) and he fainted right about the time the bride’s father gave her to the groom. If I’m the bride at this point, I think I would have said, “Peace Out” and looked for another husband. But that’s just me. Moral of that story is don’t go to a wedding without telling someone where you are, just in case the church burns down.

So what’s up for June, after that rather anti-climatic story? Weddings? Decorations you don’t want to use in a wedding? How to put out a fire using water from the toilet bowl?

No… none of that really makes for a good column in my opinion, but what did strike my fancy (to quote Bitsy) when I was researching for my column, is the fact that June 15th is World Giving Day and well, I was kind of thinking about morphing from a 22-member bridal party to paying it forward. I’m just kind of talented that way, in case you’re wondering. Anyone ever stop at the red light at the 18th Street I-20 overpass extension (for crying out loud readers, I am no Daniel Boone.) If you have, then you certainly have noticed a small gazebo, beautifully decorated, and a nice gentleman who stands out there, rain, shine, sleet or snow, and plays his saxophone for busy travelers. Now, you don’t really get the full effect of his talent unless you roll down your window and let the music circulate through your car. My car load of dancers love on Wednesday evenings when we head out to dance and he’s standing under his gazebo, playing to his heart’s content, like he’s on the stage at Carnegie Hall. What a gift. I like to think of all of the motorists he has touched by just standing out there, playing his saxophone for our listening pleasure.

It’s one of the most unique and lovely forms of Paying it Forward…using your talents to gift others. I think it’s important for our children to be witness to these kinds of random acts of kindness. Don’t you? In a world full of social media, selfies and a lot emphasis on everything being about you, isn’t it grand when our kids can see someone doing something from just the goodness of their hearts?

As parents, I think it is also our responsibility to show our kids what it’s like to help someone or do something that is totally unexpected, and perhaps even random. Recently, one of my best friends was ahead of me in line at a fast food restaurant and she unexpectedly bought our food (I was actually in line picking up lunch for my son, so she probably had to go in and wash dishes to pay my bill), but it’s simple things like that can make someone’s day, especially if it’s a total stranger in line behind you. I challenge you parents, sometime this week, to keep the thoughts of this column on your mind (the visual of me in a bikini is not what I’m talking about, obviously) and demonstrate a random act of kindness in front of your children. Let them see, and feel the pleasure of doing something that is completely unexpected for someone. It doesn’t have to be feeding the homeless (although that would be very inspiring), but perhaps you could drop food off to someone who is aging or sick.

Who knows, you may start a wave of random acts when your kids tell their friends. I write a lot about demonstrating kindness in this column, because it is something I feel passionate about, and I hope in some small way I’ve inspired you readers, to make it a priority in your home, in your lives, as well.

Now, get to having a great summer, school is out and the feeling is right for dancing in the streets. And by the way, I waited until the very end of my column, before I qualified that you might see me in a lot of things, hip hop light-up shoes, a 70’s wig that makes me look like Mrs. Roper, but a bikini will not be one of them. Now, you can enjoy the rest of your summer knowing that Cindy Foust’s most important random act of kindness is NOT wearing a bikini. Your welcome, readers, and have a great summer.