After visiting the Salon du Cheval (Horse Expo) at the Paris Expo center (Porte de Versailles), Alexandra (my daughter) and I walked in the pouring rain back to our car. On the way, a car with Belgian plates stopped to let us walk across the street. We continued on our way. Alexandra and I both waved a grand merci. About twenty metres on, the same car slowed down by us with the window rolled down. I was expecting to be asked directions of some sort. Not at all. The woman in the passenger seat extended a very handsome blue umbrella (wooden handle and stem) to us. “Please take this,” she said, with the driver nodding enthusiastically. Now, THAT deserves un vrai grand merci, a big thank you, or dank u wel. It is so beautiful to be on the receiving end of such a random act of generosity. After walking a little drier thanks to these Belgian strangers, I was encouraged to hand over my parking stub with its remaining 2 hours on it to a car that waited to snap up my empty space. Proof that one little act can have a snowball effect. And it also kindles positive feelings about our society. I would like to send some positive vibes to my the countrymen and women of my natal country.

I have surfed up that Feb 13-19 was designated in 2006 by the Canadian (B.C. based) Kind Acts site as Random Acts of Kindness Week….to be repeated (according to Frugal Village, absolutely)? I cite Kindness Inc as well which promotes many ways to be randomly kind. I also found on Kind Acts site a host of other sites dedicated to random acts of kindness, including this very studious foundation in the US: Acts of Kindness. Finally, I found Craig Harper, Aussie motivational speaker, promoting such acts as well.