Every few months, I receive a magazine that usually doesn't fascinate me, so it ends up pretty quickly in the recycle bin. But this issue was different. Instead of pitching it, I opened up the magazine right to a very special article. (Some might call this a "God moment") The Power of a Post-it" described the story of Hayley Geis, a freshman at the University of South Carolina. During high school, Hayley began doing "random acts of kindness" by writing inspiring messages on Post-it notes and anonymously leaving them on cars in the parking lot. "I loved the feeling of knowing it would make someone smile," she says. This year on the USC campus, she launched a Random Acts of Kindness Week. During the week, she and her friends wrote thank you notes to USC kitchen staff, created "I Am Thankful For" and "Prayer Requests" posters, and distributed "Pay It Forward" cards.
"Kindness makes the world an easier place to live in," Hayley says. "It would be hard to get through the day if people didn't acknowledge me. I would never want others to feel that way."
So many of us, including myself, rarely focus on the needs of strangers. But this young woman has a remarkable spirit of giving that shines through her to others. So from now on, I'm leaving Post-it notes in my car -- for a quick note to a friend or a total stranger.
To read Hayley's full story, please go to
http://www.sc.edu/uofsc/stories/2014/03_hayley_geis_student_random_acts_kindness.php#.U63lm5G4nlI
