Deeds

Part of my intention with the "Use it (or lose it)" theme for the year was to take my good intentions, which I always have a lot of, and to actually use them by doing nice things for other people, which I don't do nearly as often. (See how conveniently the theme can be massaged to mean anything I want?)

So last week I said to myself, "Self, the first opportunity you get to do a favor for someone, don't even think about—just do it." Not ten minutes later, an acquaintance asked on Facebook if anyone had any extra boxes, because her daughter was moving in a hurry and was in desperate need. Well, we have tons of big boxes in the garage from all the grass-fed meat I buy online. I figured that offering to deliver them would improve the good-deediness of the gesture—but only slightly, because the house turned out to be about three blocks from where Mik has swim practice.

The very next day, the same Facebook friend put out a request for old winter coats—her husband had learned that there were some kids at a nearby elementary school who didn't have any. I just laughed—you mean like this big pile of outgrown coats already in the donate pile?—and arranged another swim-practice-hour delivery.

What a humanitarian I am, using good deeds as a way to conveniently clean my house!