Random Acts of Kindness are Free

How is Everybody Doing?

Photo by Jason Moyer on Unsplash

As we enter our encore years, it is easy to focus on what we don’t have, reminisce that our best days have passed, and feel the absence of lost loved ones.

We could be bombarded with negative messages all day if we don’t manage our media and social media consumption. Televisions, phones, computers, or car radios will remind you in minutes, that the earth is getting warmer while people are becoming colder. Most business publications ensure we are aware while companies are earning record profits, their prices are increasing and their workforce is shrinking. I start the first hour of most days with music that I love from one of several morning playlists. It seems to increase my energy and boost my mood for whatever comes next.

If a television is on in the background from morning to night, it’s like listening to a never-ending sad trombone wailing, wah, wah, wah!

It is not only seniors with the blues. Remember, January 29? "Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?" On social media, a tsunami of despair, melancholy, and loneliness was evident in most of the 15,000 responses. Only 17.1% of the platform’s users are 50 or older. Elmo’s check-in had more than 200 million views globally!

Mental health professionals took the results seriously advising we check in on each other regardless of age.  (Note to readers: I am not dispensing medical advice.) It is also important to have a conversation with primary care physicians when we are experiencing psychological or emotional issues just as we would for a physical ailment.

Every morning I receive a “sticker” text from my retired cousin in Arizona. I may respond with a thumbs-up, heart emoji, or positive message. Through my cousin’s sticker, she’s also sharing her current mood. We are fortunate to see each other “live” annually, yet we have a daily connection.

Another cousin began sending a ‘surprise’ box to one friend or relative each month filled with items she knew they would like. She adds a note and says the process and response also gives her a lift. I have friends who make cards and postcards providing their friends and family a happy surprise in their mailbox.

Before my sister died last year, she interacted with her large FB audience with daily avatars of herself dancing, riding motorcycles, and doing activities she could no longer perform being confined to a wheelchair. The avatars brought her joy; she loved the interaction with FB friends, which contributed to not feeling forgotten.

In 2018, the Dalai Lama posted on social media, “Human beings are social animals and it is love that brings us together, while anger drives us apart. To live more peacefully and joyfully in our day-to-day lives, we need a warm heart.” He probably didn’t receive as many views as Elmo, although it made me happy to see 23,000 reposts.

The last time I saw Diana Ross perform “live” was at an outdoor venue. As her concert ended stars sparkled in the sky, while she sang “Reach Out and Touch” and asked the audience to turn the lights on their phones. It was an amazing moment with the swaying phones held high lighting the night. The song’s message and lyrics are as relevant as when the song was released in 1970.

This week commit your random act of kindness. Surprise your friend with a call just to say hello and you’re thinking about them. Send someone a note, card, or text to let them know you’re on their mind.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash