Unexpected Kindness

She sells                                                                                                                         Inez Dunn©2013

The Allure                                                                                                               Inez Dunn©2013

Unexpected Kindness

This week in spite of all the random tragedy going on, I’d like to divert your attention, if just for a little while, and lay focus towards the subject of kindness. The type of kindness that is delivered collectively, perhaps by a group or a family. And the type of kindness that arrives unexpectedly, in the form of a surprise. This week I received such gifts. One was an impromptu dinner invite, thoughtful, delicious, and kind in the most meaningful way. Then two more unexpected gifts called my attention, the 1^st gift came all the way from Texas. The gift: An exquisite seashell collection from a dear classmate, shells my girlfriend had collected from her home state of Florida. The next gift came from one of my biggest fans here at home, the gift: an arresting array of vintage fishing lures. I was completely over-whelmed by these surprises, but it was the kindness in the gift giving that really affected me. Over the years I have assembled many collections, I have a collection of fossil rocks, volcanic rocks, sea glass, and even bones! My attitude toward collecting has expanded simply because my imagination feels compelled to discover. The process of collecting for me isn’t about amassing stuff, everyone knows this could lead to hoarding and then I’d have no place for which to write you this blog. No. I base my collecting by the process of interest it generates for me and not by the possible monetary values it could hold someday. This is not to say that if anyone out there wants me to inherit his or her gold nugget collection I might turn a blind eye. I mean who doesn’t like Au? At the end of the day I want to view and share my collections based on an well-researched narrative, one in which you become as easily charmed as I am. Sharing knowledge and giving kindness in inventive ways is quite the turn-on. So, whether you’re a collector or not it really doesn't matter, what matters is your ability to demonstrate thoughtfulness. Don’t wait, surprise someone soon, it may be with a collection of words, or an unexpected gift; either way it’s a beautiful thing. And right now all of us could use a lot more of that!