Kindness | Mollie'sThoughts

Hello everyone.

As promised, I’m here with a bonus post which will be a more regular occurrence! For this bonus post (which also happens to be my 20^th post), I thought I’d do another ‘Mollie’s Thoughts’ edition focusing on kindness.

The word “kind” is one that we say many many times in our sentences and it is one of those go-to words that just springs to mind and is recognised by everyone. It’s a word that is one of the first we use when listing a friend’s personality traits – kind, thoughtful, funny etc or to round up a letter/ e-mail ("kind regards,"). We use this same word so many times that sometimes we can just use it like any other, without much thought or attention; we forget it’s real importance and meaning.

The online dictionary’s definition of kindness is:   “The act of being friendly, generous and considerate.”

In today’s world, everyone seems to always be in a hurry without even enough time to say a passing “hello” to a neighbour. But I think it’s so important to always make time to show people a little kindess.

For all we know, the other person could be having a terrible day and your kind smile and cheerful “hello there” could be just what they need to pick themselves back up! We all know that scenario very well don’t we? We’ve all been there and felt how much of an impact a strangers’ kindness can have. We also know the impact of when someone simply avoids an act of kindness because they’re being too self-focused to notice/help you. For example, if you’re carrying heavy books through a corridor behind someone and they simply let the door swing shut behind them rather than holding it for you. Or when you’re in a rush somewhere and you’ve dropped something and though people around you have noticed, they keep quiet - leaving you to realise what you’ve done yourself about 50 steps later.

It’s these simple acts of kindness that can make or break someone’s day so why don’t we make the effort to be more "friendly, generous and considerate" to others and make a difference?

We all know a smile is infectious, but so is kindness! When we demonstrate an act of kindness, it will touch and inspire those around us to go on to do something kind for someone else; the potential for a whole train of kind actions and happier people is held in the hands of someone who offers a tissue to a stranger who is sneezing or says “thankyou” to someone who serves us at a checkout.

Adults spend most of their time teaching their little ones to “say please and thankyou” and “don’t be rude” but we ourselves let our actions slip sometimes. So next time the occasion arises, let’s give a stranger a smile, help someone who looks lost, say our pleases and thank yous and hold the door open for someone whether they’re holding heavy items or not. Let’s bring back the old-fashioned manners and courtesy that Britain is famous for and let's show everyone around us some kindness.

20 Acts of Kindness

Now, as this is my 20th post on my blog I thought, why not incorporate it into this theme? So this week (by next Monday), I challenge you to carry out 20 significant acts of kindness and either blog them and link it back to this post (if you're a blogger), leave them in the comments or even write them down somewhere such as a notebook if you'd rather keep them personal and let's see how many people's lives you're able to touch in a positive way in one week! You can also write down their reaction as well if you'd like.

Everyone wants to change the world, so let's begin with baby steps and help make some people smile this week!

Mollie

♥

P.S. I'm so grateful to have this blog and have reached even a small milestone of 20 posts! I'm even more grateful to have every one of you who reads my blog and I want you to know that you're all very special to me.
Don't forget to follow me on Blog Lovin' or add my blog to your 'reading list' if you have an account on blogger! See you soon. xx

My High School Leavers Do

Hello everyone.

Seeing as I did a big old blog last week due to me, ahem, skipping a week I didn't want to make it even longer with lots of photos so I thought I'd add a separate wee extra blog here including some of the professional photos taken from my High School Leavers Do as well as some of my own photos. You can read my last blog which described the lovely evening HERE. I will still resume with my normal blog tomorrow! See you then.

Hope you enjoy,

Mollie

♥

The Besties.

 My year.

 The "pentagon". -inside joke.

The heads of our year. -  us deputies on the left, heads on right.

My fellow blogger/potential blogger from my year.

 I love this photo- all 3 of us (Iona, Kirsty and me) together with me smiling like a Cheshire Cat.

A Lovely Day

Hello everyone.

I know I usually try to post on a Wednesday but I feel there can be a cheeky bonus post today.

As I mentioned in my previous post, today was the day of Fiona Doubleday’s Studio Opening/tea party in aid of The Butterfly Tree Charity which I was asked to attend and film. (You can read her post about the day HERE.) And what a wonderful day it has been!

It began with painting a butterfly for the tea party’s raffle before me and my mum headed up to Fiona’s at one o’clock so that I could begin filming before everyone arrived.  As we entered her house the hard-work put into the event became evident as we looked around the beautiful arrangements of butterfly goodies, gifts from local shops and crafters that were attractively organised in Fiona’s living room, an array of cakes and scones and of course the wonderfully decorated studio.

 My painting for the raffle

                                                       Fiona's display of butterfly products

Products from crafters and local shops

As Fiona, her husband and two of her sons finished preparations I began by filming some scenes in and around the studio before the ribbon was tied across the doors to be later cut.

Two o’clock arrived and people soon began to flutter in and were all very impressed with the studio and transformed living room. Around 31 people arrived and with tea and cakes in our tummies, pennies spent on butterfly merchandise (all proceeds going to The Butterfly Tree Charity) and crafters’ products, we settled down for Fiona’s inspiring introduction to the event as she talked about all the work put into the day and her exciting future plans to help The Butterfly Tree. We all then went out to the studio for the grand opening where Fiona’s husband Peter read a touching story of the origin of their studio followed by a speech and cutting of the studio’s ribbon by a friend of Fiona and her family, Lynn Ross.

Yummy cakes made by Fiona's son

People beginning to arrive

 The studio with its ribbon

With the sun beginning to shine on the much loved studio everyone had a peek inside before returning to the living room for a raffle and another look around some of the merchandise.

Before long, Fiona’s hand-made butterflies had all found new loving homes along with many of the other items available and the profit of these sales combined with the selling of the raffle tickets totaled up to an amazing £200 meaning that this one day will provide the money for 40 mosquito nets for the people in Zambia meaning 40 lives have potentially been saved in a few hours of fun, laughter and donation. 40 mosquito nets. 40 lives. This is truly amazing.

 Fiona's mum sorting raffle tickets

Fiona's handmade butterflies

As people began home with high spirits and some lovely purchases, I recorded 

some of the final footage for the film of the day. I can’t wait to begin editing and hope it captures the enthusiasm and joy of all who attended this lovely day. It will be featured on Fiona's blog once it is finished and I'll upload a link when it's there.

A child dies every 40 seconds from malaria. But today, thanks to Fiona, her family and everyone who attended her event, 40 lives have been potentially saved by the money raised for mosquito nets.

If you have been as inspired as I have by Fiona’s event please visit The Butterfly Tree website and if you can please make a donation.

I hope you too had a lovely day.

Mollie

♥