Why Small Acts of Kindness Still Matter... Yes I'm Talking To You

Last week, I wrote about how lonely adulthood can feel.

I didn't write it with any great expectations - it was just up there, doing it's thing.

And I know that some people don't believe in sharing such miserable and self-deprecating post. Because isn't the world full of enough sadness already? And happy stories are what we really need?

All true. But I’ve always said I’ll share the good, the bad, and the ugly, because life isn’t a glitter bomb waiting to shower our every movement. No, it’s more of a spin-the-wheel of “Will that bird poop on my head today or not?”

And whilst I appreciate every single person who reads my rambles, every nod of recognition, and every 'Me too' comment, what you gave me last week was so much more.

Kindness. Actual, human, warm-your-soul kind of kindness.

My social media, inbox, and email filled up with messages from people who understood. People who didn’t just say, “Same”, and scroll on, but instead offered a real connection.

“Message me anytime”, lots of you said.

“Come to ours for the weekend”, one amazing person welcomed. "Do you need to come stay with us", another offered.

And there were so many beautiful gestures, so many small acts of kindness, mostly from people I’ve never met in the real world, of genuine care that I sat there thinking… well, two things, actually:

1. I need to hang on to just how good people can be.

2. And also… I might need to free up some road trip time because apparently I have more open arms in this world than I ever realised.

Yes, that incredible kindness, it stopped me. Right in the middle of my chaos and general meh-ness.

Because when you’re in that foggy, tired, 'is this just life now?' headspace, you forget. You forget that there are people out there who will quietly reach out. People who don’t need anything in return, who simply choose compassion because it costs nothing and means everything.

And that’s what I want this week’s blog to be about: them. The beautiful souls. The ones who don’t always make the headlines or win awards with their small acts of kindness, but who keep showing up anyway.

• The friend who checks in even when you never answer straight away.

• The neighbour who grabs your bin because you forgot again.

• The stranger at the park who crouches down next to your screaming child instead of staring with that awful judgy face.

• The people who say, “I’ve got you,” and actually mean it.

We don’t celebrate them enough.

Maybe because they don’t shout the loudest.

Maybe because they don’t want the attention.

Or maybe because we’ve all been conditioned to think that the world is mostly awful, when actually… it’s not. Not if you look closely enough.

So here it is: my not-very-grand, completely unofficial, but absolutely heartfelt thank you. To every single one of you who reached out last week, or during one of the other seventeen 'Argh!' moments I've experienced this year alone. To the quiet helpers. the everyday good eggs, the ones holding this messy little world together with their small acts of kindness and duct tape (as a pose to kidnapping and duct tape - very different scenario!)…

You’re all brilliant.

And you matter more than you know.

And maybe that’s the point, isn’t it?

Big change doesn’t come from grand gestures. It comes from all the small ones.

From choosing empathy instead of apathy.

From deciding to show up for someone in the way you wish someone had once shown up for you. From simply giving rather than keeping score.

And doing so without any need for applause or validation.

Yes, here’s to you, you lovely bunch of stealthy world-fixers. Thank you for reminding me how lucky I am. Thank you for making this week feel a little less heavy. And if anyone reading this has been wondering whether kindness still exists out there…

it really does.

P.S. If this post made you laugh, cry, or feel just a little bit more human, you can find more of that in my book. Grab a copy over on Amazon, or if you'd prefer a signed edition, just drop me a message.

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 "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted"

Aesop