The month of November and the holiday season are all about being thankful for what you have and spreading those blessings all around you, whether it be with gifts or kind words and gestures. I like to think that this is something we practice on a regular basis at Appalachian, because I have seen those random acts of kindness on more than one occasion. One gesture I experienced firsthand happened to me while I was at work this semester. While I was at sitting at a desk, a girl came up to me and handed me a coffee to get me through my late night shift. Her thoughtfulness made my night and made me want to pass on that kindness to others, so here are just a couple ways to pay it forward this month!
Ways to pay it forward at school…
- Give out candy in the library or in one of your stressful classes.
- Volunteer at a local nursing home, or visit shut ins.
- Pick up litter, even the nasty kind.
- Compliment your friends on things other than their appearance, like their intelligence, humor, or how well they can paint nails inside the lines.
- Send a pizza to someone you know is having a rough week. Bonus points if you get the pizza place to draw a picture of their favorite TV show character inside the box.
- Give excellent customer service at work, even when someone deserves to be on the naughty list.
- Hold the door open for guys to show them you appreciate when they do that for us.
- Make the cafeteria ladies (and men) cookies! They are making us food all year long, so treat them for the day.
- Actually talk to the saferide drivers…and don’t change their radio station!
Ways to make the most of your time at home for Thanksgiving…
- Help your parents cook…Unless it is more helpful for you to sit and not set off the smoke detector.
- Change the subject when politics, religion, or twerking come up.
- Don’t give your parents a huge Christmas list unless they ask you to…Helping with college tuition is quite a gift already.
- Come up with new traditions and create new memories. You will always remember the Thanksgiving your grandpa ripped his corduroys playing Just Dance 4.
- Thank everyone you see on Black Friday. The employees are about to go crazy, and the customers are already crazy.
- Know when to act like a grown up at home… and when to hide under the table with your baby cousins.
- Wash your own dishes, do your own laundry, and never leave your dad’s gas tank on empty.
- Make a shoebox for “Operation Christmas Child” and spend some time thinking what needs to go inside.
- Only you know what would make someone’s day in your daily circles, so come up with your own ways to make someone’s day or brighten up a classroom. Stay classy ladies, and pay it forward this holiday season!