Random Acts of Kindness
It’s the time of year when we are all absorbed in the “hustle and bustle” of Holiday parties, eating, shopping, eating, hurrying from here to there, and more eating. I’ll have to say that it’s also a time of the year that we get to do special things for people we care about. It’s a time of year that we can make homemade gifts and share them with our family and friends and enjoy the simpler things in life as well. I love the feeling you get with “giving”; I love to see the reflection of a smile in one’s eyes. I love that feeling! I could go on and on about what I love about this time of the year, but today it’s about doing simple things that make a difference – a difference to someone. It’s about Random Acts of Kindness….
Have you ever been the recipient of a Random Act of Kindness? What’s even better is doing a Random Act of Kindness for someone – it’s amazing! What if you worked for a company that had its own “Random Acts of Kindness” program? You see, I’m lucky – I do, and it’s one more thing about SmartBank that I love.
Earlier this week, Pam, one of my associates, was walking by one of the neighboring restaurants here in Teaster Crossing, and noticed 10 or 12 fireman eating lunch at the Blue Moose. Pam recognized a great opportunity to do something nice for group of public servants who consistently do for others risking their own lives with selfless acts to protect others. Pam pulled the waitress aside and asked for their bill, and in turn instructed the waitress to give each fireman one of her special cards telling them they’ve just experienced a “Random Act of Kindness”. Pam secretly slipped off and back to work.
Another one of my associates, Erin, was recently calling a client early one morning to schedule a visit with him later in the afternoon. She asked if “now was a good time to talk”. He mentioned that he was at breakfast with several of his friends and colleagues at a local eatery. On her way to work, she stopped in this eatery, and asked the hostess to bring her the bill for the group that her client was eating with. Again, she left her “Random Act of Kindness” cards, and slipped away. This time when the waitress delivered the surprise that they had just experienced a random act of kindness, she was surprised with the gift they gave by “paying it forward”. This group decided to pay their bill in the form of a tip to their waitress.
These are just a couple of the many stories I could share. All in all, I believe that there’s much more happiness and gratification with the gift of “giving”, and it’s great to be part of a company where corporate philosophies are a reflection of the people we have here at SmartBank. You see, some of the special things we do at SmartBank aren’t things we’ve read about in some book about company culture. It’s ideas cultivated by our people, it’s the life experiences we’ve had, and it’s the things we’ve learned from our friends. I’m fortunate to work in an atmosphere where values are part of the company culture, and friends are made every day…..
