---

I’ve added a category on my site called ‘Acts of Kindness,’ with the hope of uplifting not only my spirits but also those of my subscribers and readers.

Having done some research, I have found some interesting facts on how acts of kindness can impact one’s well-being.

According to the Harvard Health Publishing they have performed studies showing that kindness can lead to improvements in physical health, such as lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heart disease.

The Journal of Social Psychology published a study indicating that performing acts of kindness for seven days significantly increased participants’ happiness. In fact, just reading or learning about acts of kindness can evoke similar positive emotions, making it a powerful tool for uplifting one’s spirit and promoting mental health.

Other scientific evidence has shown that acts of kindness can:

• Trigger the release of neurochemicals such as serotonin and dopamine which is associated with feelings of warmth and bonding.
• Can reduce stress and anxiety, promoting a sense of calm.
• Boosting one’s mood and overall happiness, a phenomenon referred to as the “helper’s high.”
• Enhance resilience and improve coping mechanisms through positive social interactions.

I also learned that simply observing acts of kindness can inspire others to act kindly, creating a ripple effect.

Learning this has inspired me to set a goal for this blog. I’ve decided that each week I plan to post one act of kindness that I’ve witnessed. This means that every day I need to pay close attention to my surroundings as I’m sure I will witness at least one act of kindness.

As this is my first post, instead of waiting a week, I wanted to share a story that happened many years ago. It’s a wonderful display of kindness that is fitting and a good start towards fulfilling my goal.

In 2019, my husband and I moved to Georgia. As avid sports fans, we started attending different sporting events to get to know the teams that played here. One of our first athletic events was a soccer game to see Atlanta United play at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Instead of driving to the stadium, we decided to take the train to Atlanta since we were not familiar with the city and assumed there would be traffic. When the train arrived, it was packed with people who all seemed to be going to the game as well. As we stepped in, two young people stood up to offer us their seats.  I was so surprised by this. Coming from New Jersey, I have taken the train many times but had rarely seen anyone give up their seat. We were very grateful and a bit overwhelmed but happily took the seat being offered. 

There were probably about six or seven more stops until we reached the stadium.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that at every single stop, when an elderly person walked in, some younger person on the train stood up and offered their seat.  I was awestruck. In every case the younger person smiled and gladly got up.  It wasn’t something that a mother or father nudged them to do, it was done purely out of the goodness of their heart and out of common decency.  The elderly person always smiled back, not taking this for granted and was gracious and thankful.  It wasn’t one kindness; it was like an avalanche of kindness flowing one after the other that left both my husband and I amazed.

I can’t recall if Atlanta United won or lost, but I do recall how happy I was that day as I felt so lucky to have witnessed those small but meaningful tender acts of kindness. A train ride I’ll never forget.