47 Random Acts of Kindness

Maybe you got a note of encouraging words on your car recently.At a car wash and found five dollars? You were the victim of a random act of kindness and now you know why. Clarissa Peters spent her 47th birthday holding a sign claiming she wants to give you money."What is it?" Clarissa said, "And why are you giving it to me, like they thought I expected something in return."Of course most people were skeptical and looked for a catch. Others avoided Clarissa all together."And we would watch them make a block to go around me," she said. But there was no catch. Inspired by someone else's story, for Clarissa's 47th birthday she decided to do 47 random acts of kindness.
"And I thought what a great thing!" she said. "And what a great way to spend your birthday."In the days leading up to her November 17th birthday deadline, she passed out lottery tickets to strangers, left notes with encouraging words on their cars."Also I cut all my hair off," she said. And donated it to 'Locks Of Love'. Each day something new, culminating with her passing money out to strangers in the River Market on her birthday."That's why I held it back for my actual birthday," she said. "Because I was looking forward to that one."Many lessons she said she learned, but the one that sticks out is that positivity and kindness are contagious."It's just really inspirational," said Clarissa's friend for almost 40 years, Ann Higgins. Higgins took Clarissa's suggestion to do some of the random acts of kindness along with her."On your own," Higgins said. "Just when the opportunity arises."Both woman said they'll keep it up year round, but Clarissa's birthday just happens to fall during a time of year everyone is giving thanks.