7000 Hugs & Counting

We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Lisa Mae Brunson, who joins us for 28 Days of Kindness from the coastal shores of Long Beach, CA. This week, Lisa Mae was featured in the Huffington Post article, "What I Have Learned from Hugging 7000 People." Oh yes, you read that right. No need to adjust your eyes. Here's what Lisa Mae had to say about her participation in 28 Days of Kindness, as well as an intro to her article.

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Why are you joining 28 Days of Kindness?
I am participating in 28 days of kindness because I believe in the power of performing in act of grace and I live my life in such a way that I can be a blessing for others. This project provides the perfect opportunity to fulfill that legacy. An act of grace, not in. :)

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What kind deed are you most looking forward to for this month?
My one good deed I'm looking forward to performing this month is providing some sort of spiritual healing and awareness for an individual who may need it and that their lives may be shifted as a result.

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What's the lead in for your article?
I began my "hugging journey" in 2007. I was on the phone with my mother when she made a startling confession that she had not been hugged in months. I sat three states away, listening to her cry as she revealed how much she craved human touch. The next day, I spoke with a friend who was suicidal. She too, revealed that she had not been hugged in months. She was convinced that it was better to die than to live without the physical validation of love. Sensing her desperation, I drove 12 hours to give her a hug. As we stood folded in each other's arms, I could feel all the love return back into her body. I could feel this overwhelming rush of healing energy flow between us and restore her faith in humanity. She was loved, and she was ready to live again.

I was in awe. This simple act of kindness had the ability to restore life. How many others out there craved love in the form of a hug? How many longed for the touch of another, yet were denied this act of grace? .....

Click here to read the full story (we think it's well worth the read!).

A Teenager & the Kind Connection that Saved Him

This story was shared by Amy Hollomon, in our global virtual event. It's such a good read, we're posting the first part here with the link tot he full story:

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One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, “Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.”

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, “Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.”

He looked at me and said, “Hey thanks!” There was a big smile on his face...

28

Holding The Door With A Compliment

This story comes from Jessica Watson, who's hosting our Facebook Community event:

I was wondering around city streets in search of a cup of coffee on a late foggy Saturday morning. I stopped in what I thought was a tea house but later discovered I was mistaken. It looked fancy enough to perhaps have to do with weddings or some other kind of formal celebrations. I was quite underdressed in my jeans and casually stylish scarf. I only stayed long enough to confirm for onlookers that I didn't walk in there by mistake (although I most certainly did!).

Before walking in to this fancy establishment, I noticed an elderly man with a briefcase trying to get out. So I held the door open for him and his wife who followed. "Well, you don't see that everyday," he smiled, "a nice young lady holding the door for an old man like me." I did a double take, "Old man? I don't see any old men around here!"

He and his wife chucked. As they were leaving, his wife turned to me and said "that's the best compliment we've heard today. Thank you." We both shared a smile. On that sweet note we parted ways and I continued my search for a coffee.

A Good Lesson About the Importance of People

During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a quiz. I breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was a joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. "Absolutely," the professor said. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

~JoAnn C. Jones,Guideposts, January 1996