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#CaringForCommunity: Kindness in Thought and in Deed

#CaringForCommunity is a blog series that spotlights the work of writers, artists, or your next-door neighbors who, without being asked and without pay, carry the light in simple but meaningful ways. These are people giving back in order to lift others up. Real life examples of compassion, concern, and inspiration.

Today, I’m sharing link to thoughts on kindness and kind thoughts in action.

Kindness in Thought

Amy Krouse Rosenthal is an accomplished author of children’s books and memoirs and a page full of videos about life and love and wisdom. Even so, her name was new to me when it came across my Facebook feed last week. Rosenthal wrote a heartfelt (and heartbreaking) essay for the New York Times Modern Love column (which you should definitely read). She also created this Thought Bubble video back in 2010 on being Kind.

Based solely on her essay and this video, I imagine Amy Krouse Rosenthal has been the epitome of kind long before her Modern Love essay went viral. We would do well to carry her message and her spirit into our own daily actions.

Kindness in Deed

Speaking of actions, Tricklebee Cafe, a local restaurant in Milwaukee, practices kindness and care in all they do. Tricklebee serves lunch Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11am to 2pm, and provides locally-sourced meals to customers whether or not they can foot the bill.

“Tricklebee Café is a pay-what-you-can community café that offers healthy meals, food-service training, and spiritual nourishment. We offer a space to foster community, connections, goodwill, and a love for real food with simple ingredients. By offering an inclusive and welcoming space, we hope to bring some positivity to this neighborhood that greatly needs peace and understanding.”

(In the photo above, volunteers are making snack bags for kids in the neighborhood. Any time the doors to the cafe are open, hungry kids can stop by and take one bag of healthy snacks.)

It all sounds dreamy, impossible, over the top generous, and maybe you’re thinking, What’s the catch? That’s just it. There is none. There is only the spirit of warm hearts caring for community by making sure everyone has a seat at the table and a plate full of healthy food. Yes, the cafe is part of the Moravian Church of America, but as Executive Director Reverend Christie Melby-Gibbons says (in this OnMilwaukee article), “we’re also supportive of interfaith dialog…. We want it to be a safe and peaceful place for everyone, including Muslims, people of the Jewish faith and anyone who wants to gather.”

That kind of generosity spreads, grows, and blossoms in hearts and souls inside and outside of the cafe. Amy Krouse Rosenthal would be proud.

Visit Tricklebee’s Facebook page for photos and details on upcoming events. Check out their website to view their Wish List and information on how to volunteer.

“How do we collectively, as a people, want to be remembered?”
~ Amy Krouse Rosenthal

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#CaringForCommunity: Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day

#CaringForCommunity is a new blog series that spotlights the work of writers, artists, or your next-door neighbors who, without being asked and without pay, carry the light in simple but meaningful ways. These are people giving back in order to lift others up. Real life examples of compassion, concern, and inspiration.

Today, Cristina M.R. Norcross shares about Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day, an annual event on February 20th, where the act of giving is in the giving of art.

Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day poster
Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day
February 20th, 2017
Join the Kindness Revolution!

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“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.”
~Amelia Earhart

heart shapes hangingThere exists within all of us the need to reach out to others with an open heart. When we are offered a kind word, a helping hand, a patient ear, or an unexpected gift, our first reaction is gratitude – there is a softening that occurs. Perhaps our second reaction could be to pay-it-forward?

In 2012, the idea for Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day (RAPA) started with the brainstorm of leaving behind a “feel good” message for someone else to mysteriously find. I was in an Office Max store and decided to test out a roller ball pen by writing a mini poem on the scratch paper provided. With these words, I was hoping to encourage the next pen tester:

“And if your wandering spirit should falter, know that you are constantly being guided on your path. Follow your own star.”

At first, I felt a bit mischievous, but then I felt inspired. I took a photo of my scribblings and sent it to a few artist and writer friends with the question, “Do you think we could do something here, by spreading good vibes?” The response I received was an enthusiastic, YES, even before we knew how to bring people together.

Sonya S. Sinha's NYC maps and bands as giveaways
NYC maps & bands by Sonya S. Sinha

We created a Facebook page, with a simple summary of our RAPA Day movement, some sample photos of gifts, and some encouragement for others to take part.

2017 will mark our 6-year anniversary. We have had public school students participate, local arts councils, and writing groups. We have had artists and poets from across the United States, Canada, and Europe participate. With each year, our numbers grow, and we hope that this continues!

Chapbooks by Gary C. Busha
Chapbooks by Gary C. Busha as giveaways.

For those who are new to RAPA Day, some ideas from past years include: leaving behind free poetry cards at coffee houses, cafés and libraries; giving away mini works of art / handmade jewelry / pottery / knitted scarves or hats; and donating art prints and poetry books to non-profit organizations.

For our first year, my sons had the day off from school, so they helped me cut up strips of paper with quotes by Rumi, Hafiz, and Dr. Seuss. We would leave them on tables, benches, and even inside library books on shelves (shh, don’t tell our local librarian). I think the Dr. Seuss quote was their favorite:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
~ Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

collage of giveaway gifts: earrings, bracelets, beadsI wouldn’t be able to spread the word about Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day without the help of my wonderfully talented team of organizers, which includes visual artists: Sonya S. Sinha (New York) and Jennifer S. J. Peña (New Jersey). Each year, we ring the bell of hope, in celebration of the art of giving. It is our goal to encourage and inspire others to give back through the arts. We have an opportunity to connect people through kindness and generosity. We also have an opportunity to remind people of the essence of being human – to give and receive from the heart.

We hope that you will join us for Random Acts of Poetry and Art day, celebrated every year on February 20th. And, we welcome you to share your photos and personal stories of how you choose to give on the Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day Facebook page.

PS! We are giving away bundles of 10 postcards (pictured below), per request, until we run out. Artists and writers can request a bundle by sending a message to the Random Acts of Poetry and Art group page on Facebook.

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Cristina M. R. Norcross is the founding editor of the online poetry journal, Blue Heron Review, and lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their two sons.  She is the author of 7 poetry collections, and her works appear in print and online. Cristina was one of the co-editors of the project, One Vision: a Fusion of Art & Poetry in Lake Country (2009-11).  She is currently one of the co-founders of Random Acts of Poetry and Art Day and is a regular contributor to the Art Ambush Project. Visit her website for more information. 

Do you have a #CaringForCommunity story to share? Contact me. 

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Inside | Outside, The Reading: Community in Action

Inside | Outside, the most recent anthology of work by the writers at Harwood Place, made its humble debut last Saturday. In front of a full house, the authors each gave a stellar reading of their pieces from the podium. They spoke with ease and with grace, and one spoke for a writer who was unable to attend.

Earlier in the week, I received a phone call from a long-time participant, Richard, who said he couldn’t make it. He’d been down and out for the last several weeks, was recuperating well, but knew he would not be at the event. This reading highlights our year as writers together, so I understood, even before he said it, that missing the afternoon was a great disappointment. For all of us, really. Richard is the patriarch of the group–and he’s quite tall; his absence would be a void. So we did the next best thing: looked for someone to stand in for him and read what he had written.

Finding a proxy didn’t take long. Richard is not only a leader in the group but a good friend to many and a cheerful spirit for all. I had a response to an email request within an hour and assurance that his piece would not be left out. But what happened next speaks even more to the heart and temperament of this group.

As is my custom at these events, I run around sweating and testing the mic and helping the writers find their order in the line up. I make sure everyone is settled, and then I always begin the reading with a little introduction. But before I could take my place at the podium this time, I had to check on the lemonade and cookies, which were late to arrive, which are as critical to the afternoon as a strong mic for an older generation of men and women whose voices sometimes fall to a whisper. So I slipped away for a second in search of the refreshments.

When I walked back into the room, Chuck, another compatriot of the group, had picked up the mic to ready the audience with a little ad-lib and a smile. Then, he spoke of Richard, who had “gone AWOL,” as he said–absent without leave, excused but still–and gave a beautiful tribute to him by reading “An Ode to Richard.” Steady and most gentle of men. It became clear that absent or not, Richard was still very much a part of the event.

Beginning this year, I am sharing my teaching duties with a colleague, who will alternate months with me. While this frees up my time to pursue more of my own writing, I won’t lie: it’s tough to let go of this group even a little bit. I may be their teacher, but as is often the case, I am their student as well. They continue to serve as witnesses in the ways of community, cherishing stories from every corner of the table, vowing to ensure each person’s words are heard, honoring that connection, and taking care of one another. An important lesson these days.

Community in action with gratitude of the time spent together.

From left to right: Mary, me, Val, Chuck, LaVerne, Betty, Ruth, and Mary.
Not pictured but greatly missed: Richard.