Impact

I'm pretty sure I had an impact on my youngest daughter this past weekend.  

Oh sure, I probably do every day in some manner. But today, I know I did because when I completed one act, the questions began to flow from her mouth.  
Questions, as a mother, I had to quickly figure out how to answer.  
I will be honest here, I didn't "plan" very well ahead! :)

This particular act, was part of my Lent Kindness Plan. 
 I haven't mentioned it much here, because I feel 
weird about sharing things I have done for others. 
It feels a little like I am tooting my own horn, when in reality, 
that's  the last thing I want to do.  

But I want to also inspire others to

I do not know who originally created it but I love it. I found it on Pinterest.
Yellow is my favorite color & the saying  is AWESOME!
In searching this is where I found it today!

So today I will tell you about this one act.

We were going to town to do some errands. 
The previous evening I had been surfing the web in search of kindness ideas.  
I had read this one before, so I thought I'd put it on my list for a later time.

As we prepared to leave that morning,  I thought to myself, you know I'd like for us to do this one as a family.  It's not often that all 3 of us are in the same town together!  
So I rushed around my house and gathered various items that I thought the one, less than fortunate person, I see often on the streets of our city could use. 

 I gathered stickers from my crafts and asked PV to decorate the bag.  
At this point I did not tell her what the bag was for. 
She really enjoyed decorating it though, and she did a lovely job I think!

This is our bag filled.

I wish I would have taken a shot of the back, it does have food in it!

We found the person and I quickly jumped from the car, laid it next to her, and said "this is for you, have a good day."  She thanked me and I went on down the street.  As I got in the car, my husband's eyes, I do believe looked a little different, 
and my youngest daughter began with the questions.

Explaining about homeless living ( I assume this person was) to a 4 year old didn't entail me getting too deep or explicit.  But I knew with this being the first experience of it for her, it needed to be clear, it needed to be honest, and it needed to be an expression of why we show kindness to others.

The 4 year old asked about where the person sleeps and where the person goes when it rains. Through our conversation, she came up with, "well what if someone built her a house."  I grinned and stated that it would be kind if someone did, but sometimes, 
people make the choice to live homeless. (I know most do not, but some do.)  

I explained that we have to respect the choices that everyone makes, 
and that the best thing we can do for them now is to pray. 

( Until the next time we cross their path with a ziploc bag of goodies that is!)

I didn't have all the answers, but I did the best I could.  

Isn't that what we all are asked , to do the best we can? 

I came away from this experience realizing that today I was
 an example of kindness for her,  but what about the other days?  
The impact I have on my daughter(s) is significant, 
whether my example is  good or bad. 
And it's a DAILY thing.  

I think after today I will be more mindful of that.  
So on those days when I may not speak to her 
daddy with sweetness ( especially in front of her), or 
I sit on the computer too long verses playing, 
perhaps those will be less now.  

Since I have found myself being the recipient of an impact too.

Thanks for stopping by.

Julie

P.S.

Feel free to share  kindness ideas via commenting below or emailing me at betweenthesunsets@gmail.com. I could use some help, I have several days left!