Sandra Hudson

Inspiring Women in Life & Business

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21 Ways to Show Kindness this December

21 Ways to Show Kindness this December

Sometimes this world can just be too much! Everyone seems to be so cynical, critical and opinionated. You would have to be living under a rock not to hear people arguing over politics. There seems to be more hate and violence than ever, and negativity seems to be pulsing throughout the media and all over social medial. While we all try to make sense of our changing world, the one theme that keeps coming back up to me is kindness. We might not be able to change everything at once, but we all have the capability to be kind, nice, loving, we can help spread the kindness around this holiday season.

I personally, have taken a step back the past month. I haven’t been writing as much, and I haven’t even been on social media that much. (When things get too much, I usually avoid the confrontation!). I have really been working on me. I need a more positive mindset and I am trying to make more positive changes in our home through different parenting techniques and in our marriage. This holiday season is a great time to participate in the 21 ways to spread kindness. These are things you can do alone, or with your family, to help teach spreading goodwill, love, and of course, kindness. Spread that kindness around like confetti.

I hope you will join me throughout the month of December and perform one act of kindness a day. Most of these do not require any monetary contributions, just ways to be kind to ourselves and others. We all deserve a little more grace in our lives, so let’s do this together and spread #21daysofkindness.

Have suggestions to add to our list? Please comment below and let me know how it goes for you.

1. Pay someone a compliment or give them a genuine smile.

2. Donate a toy to a child in need.

3. Surprise a friend by taking them a meal, or donate a meal to your local food bank.

4. Pay for someone’s coffee order, or buy them a $5 gift card.

5. When someone is unkind to you, don’t respond. This is the first step to learning not to take things personally.

6. Do some sort of exercise that you love; ride a bike, walk, swim, yoga, whatever it is, do it for you. (And yes, you need to be kind to yourself too!)

7. Offer to watch your friend’s kids for an hour so she can have some time to herself.

8. Return a shopping cart in the parking lot, or collect a few and help the store workers out.

9. Be kind to nature, and plant something. It could be a tree, a flower, some herbs, anything that will help our environment.

10. Leave a positive comment or two on a friend’s social media post or a blog. (We love comments!!)

11. Donate used clothing.

12. Wrap presents for someone who you know needs the help.

13. Bake something you are known for and share it with your neighbors. Need a new recipe? Check out this delicious recipe that I have shared before.

14. Visit your local animal shelter and offer to donate items they may need. Most will love old towels or blankets for animals to cuddle on.

15. If you eat out, consider leaving a big(ger) tip this time. What a blessing this is to those servers!

16. Be kind to yourself, take an hour to do something just for you.

17. Let someone go in front of you in line, wherever you are.

18. Leave an envelope with a few dollar bills taped to a rack at the Dollar Store or the $1 bins at Target.

19. Donate to a homeless person or better yet bring them a hot meal and actually talk to them.

20. Fill out a survey at a store and compliment an employee if they were good to you. They deal with a lot of personalities during the heavy shopping season!

21. Start a gratitude journal to start off the New Year with a grateful heart. This is one of my favorite things to do each year. You will be blessed all over again when you go back and read them from years prior.

If you do decide to join in this kindness challenge, please share this post so others can join you! Also, use #21daysofkindness on social media so we can get kindness trending! Sending much love and kindness to you this holiday season!

xoxo- Sandra

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To the Struggling Woman This Mother’s Day

To most people, Mother’s Day is a joyful celebration, but my heart aches for those who struggle during this holiday. This day can be exceptionally hard on those who are hurting and grieving. I know this pain all too well, which is one reason why I sympathize so deeply.
There are women who long to conceive and carry a child, but this day is a reminder that your womb is empty. Don’t lose hope! I’m going to tell you exactly what you don’t want to hear. I know, because I DID NOT want to hear it almost 6 years ago myself. Be patient and faithful in the plans that God has for your life. We always think we know what is best for ourselves and our family, but I will always put my trust in God to lead the way. The timing is usually all wrong and the process of the valley you are walking through is usually more important than the end result. Just know that I love and celebrate you on this day as a woman, and not because you can carry a baby in your womb. You are strong and brave. Infertility sucks. The whole process of not knowing……sucks!
To the woman who has had to bury a child…… I can not fathom the pain. I celebrate you because the scar on your heart represents the love of a child who was welcomed into heaven’s gates sooner than anyone could have imagined. I know you are grieving, Mama. I celebrate you because it takes so much bravery to bury your child. There is not enough “I’m sorries” in the world to make the pain tolerable. To the woman who lost your baby before you even got to know him or her……well that just sucks. I celebrate you because even though your baby left your womb far too early in pregnancy, you are still a mom. After suffering 3 unexplained miscarriages, I was left with so many “what ifs” and ideas about being a family of 4. I am so sorry for your loss.
To the woman who is going through a tedious adoption process, and is so desperate to meet or hold her child, I celebrate you. Adoption is such an amazing process that many of my friends have gone through. It is not for the faint of heart, but oh so rewarding. I pray that you are connected with your little one soon.
To the woman who is a foster parent, I celebrate you. We desperately need more hearts like yours to step up and take in children until they can find a forever home.
To the woman is missing their own mother this Mother’s Day, I am so sorry your mama is gone. I know it must be hard carrying on life without her support, wisdom and phone calls. I am sorry you can’t share this day with her and tell her how much you love her.
On this Mother’s Day, I celebrate you and empathize with you. I want you to know that are not alone and you pain is not forgotten. To the woman who is struggling to make it through Mother’s Day, I’m thinking of you and sending you hugs.
So on this day, I choose to celebrate all women. You can be a mom, sister, aunt, friend, grandmother, spiritual mentor, etc. It takes a village and I celebrate you for reaching out and loving on your neighbor. This world is tough and the only way we can make is through is with love and kindness.
From my heart to yours,
Sandra
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Life is too Short for Small Talk and Fake Friends

small talk and fake friends

Small Talk and Fake Friends

Have you ever struggled with finding true friendship? I’m talk about that long-lasting friendship where they will see you at your worst, and still love and support you. If you have a relationship like this, then you have a treasure. For adults, it may be harder to find. I am pretty much an introvert in my core.  My brain is always processing and reading people, body language, and situations. I literally get anxiety thinking about making small talk with someone I do not know. This led me to this thought…….

Life is too short for small talk and fake friends!
Don’t get me wrong, I love the occasional playdate at the park or a mom get-together, but the truth is, I would rather have a friend whom I could go to dinner with and cry about our sorrows over tacos and margaritas. If the occasional playdate doesn’t lead me to that kind of friendship eventually…… then I’m not interested.

Current Status

I am at a point in my life where I need a friend who will keep it real and talk about the hard stuff. I need someone who will not judge me if I say I really dislike my kids today. I need someone who isn’t afraid to admit it either. You can only do that with friends who will let their guard down, transcend superficiality and are willing to go there with you. I want friends who are willing to get down in the trenches with me about life and sit there with me as I get through it. You see, I am in the thick of life right now. I have two young children who I pretty much shuffle around all day. I have a work-from-home job (that I love and keeps me sane). I have a very supportive husband but he also travels a lot for work, and I have a high-maintenance dog that demands loads of attention. On my good days, I am a hot mess. On bad days, I’m holding it together with glue and a prayer.
I want to be a good person, a good friend, but I don’t have the time or energy for games. I can’t spend my few free hours on “friends” who only call when they need something or are passive-aggressive when we have a misunderstanding. I don’t want to worry about every word that comes out of my mouth or getting judged on my every move. I don’t want to compete with other women, in how we look, or parent, or by the success of our kids. I am too tired at the end of the day to pretend that I am something that I am not.

fake friends

Love Those Authentic Friends

With that being said, I am definitely blessed. I have made—and sustained—friendships that satisfy my hunger for authentic relationships. We have been through the birth of our children and the death of loved ones. We’ve drank, laughed and cried buckets of tears as our family moved across the country. We have celebrated when the kids we love as our own reach milestones and shared wine on evenings when we thought we couldn’t be mothers for one more minute—surviving only because we had each other.
We have hard conversations when honesty—no matter how brutal—was the kindest thing we could offer and held our tongues when we knew someone just needed to vent. We have given marriage advice and encouragement. We have bared our souls in front porch conversations and kept secrets safe from the outside world. No judgment. No expectations. No animosity. No keeping score. Only love, acceptance and a whole lot of laughter. Life is short, and you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Closing Thoughts

At this point in my life, I am struggling to find one real relationship in our big, new city but I am hopeful. With continued prayers, I will continue to put in my hours at the playdates and PTA in hopes to cultivate a relationship that will extend to tacos and margaritas………..and hopefully an authentic relationship. Want to know more about how I got here? Check out this post.

From my heart to yours,

Sandra

If you enjoyed this post, I would love to connect and be your Facebook friend.
Please join our Facebook community group called Inspiring Beauty in the Mess here.

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