ARK. Acts of Random Kindness. Things that we often think are too small to make a difference or don't matter to anyone. I can be the first to tell you that these things matter, to a lot of people.

I can't tell you how great the feeling is of being in line at Starbucks or another fast food drive thru and once you reach the window with debit card in hand, you are told that the person ahead of you has you covered. It also makes you wish you had ordered a venti instead of a tall right? When things like this happen they aren't just a one time thing. You never know the result that could come from simply buying a drink. Over Thanksgiving break I had to stay on campus because I worked retail everyday. On Thankgiving morning I went through the Starbucks drive thru and when I reached the window, I was informed that the person in front of me had payed for my drink. I was having a rough week and was feeling everything short of loved. This simple gesture to pay for my drink led me to pay for the man behind me. And I sure do hope that he passed on the love.

Just two days ago I was at Starbucks (do we see a theme here?) and a man came in while I was studying. Now I didn't want to judge this man based on appearance but I could tell he might have been less well off that most people. He had a ripped up backpack that he placed outside and he came in with a small cup of coffee from possible a gas station and filled it with sugar and milk from Starbucks. It was a pretty chilly day and it looked like he was without a car so I felt as though maybe he needed a pick me up. I offered buy him a new coffee that might taste a little better than the one he was drinking. He was very modest about it and told me that I could only if I wanted to. I bought him a venti Americano (shoutout to my dad for that being his drink) and he was so grateful! He sat down across from me to sip on his new warm drink and said, "I can't believe someone bought me a coffee. No one's ever done that before."

How can a person go through life without someone buying them a simple coffee? You can see how much joy it brings to people. To know that someone is thinking about them and someone chose to take the time out of their day to do something out of the goodness of their heart. Whether it be for a stranger or a friend.

Kindness matters to people and it doesn't always have to mean dollar signs. Sometimes a person can go a whole day without being smiled at or talked to and the first person that shows them that sign of affection could be a day changer. My love language is words of affirmation. I feel the most warmth when people take initiative to tell me how much they appreciate me and that they love me. I don't need diamonds and dollars to feel loved. I just need someone to care.