Say... when the last time you’ve brightened someone’s day? Don’t worry if it’s been a minute, because National Share Your Care Day is right around the corner — tomorrow, to be exact! This special holiday is all about (you guessed it!) showing others how much you love them. And even though September 9th is the official date of celebration, here are 10 quick ways to share your care every day of the year!
1. Call a friend! It seems so simple, but it can mean so much. You don’t know — a phone call from you might just be the thing that sweetens someone’s morning (unless you’re calling to collect taxes, of course).
2. Pay for the person behind you. Ever pulled up to a drive-thru window and been told that your bill has already been covered? Now’s your moment to treat someone else to that same feeling! Whether the person behind you is old Jimmy from next door or a complete stranger who just honked at you twice, throw on the cape of kindness for today and cover their check. Who knows? - maybe they’ll even blow their horn at you again, but this time, it’ll be a nice one.
3. Buy a gift for a friend / neighbor. It’s easy to skip over this one with the “I don’t know what to get” excuse, but there are some general gifts that are universally appreciated, such as an animal plushie or a hand towel with the recipient’s first initial embroidered on it. Feeling confident about your friend facts? Take the gift-giving up a notch and buy a bottle of perfume or pick out a blanket of their favorite color.
4. Write a letter to your friend (oh, and then send it to them too). I hear what you’re saying, and puh-leez, letters are not outdated! How cool would it be to go to the mailbox and find, among a pile of boring catalogs you never asked for and bills you’d rather ignore than pay, an envelope with an old-fashioned handwritten letter from someone who took time out of their day to tell you how much you meant to them?
5. Make your family breakfast-in-bed. Eggs, grits, toast, pancakes, biscuits… bacon!! You don’t have to commit to preparing a full-course feast — just pick a few delish items to cook before everyone else is awake and serve it up while they still have a chance to hop out of their blankets. Most people love a good breakfast, but being able to enjoy it in bed is the icing on the cake (or the butter on the biscuit). *winks in pun* Why not start off someone else’s day with this special act of kindness?
6. Record an appreciation video / send an appreciation text. This idea doesn’t require a lot of effort, but the impact can be long-lasting. Make a 30-second-or-less video for your friend, letting her know that you’re thinking about her, how grateful you are to know her, etc. It’s like a personalized voicemail, but the visual aspect makes it 10 times better.
7. Take care of someone else’s chores. This could look like anything from helping him with a task you wouldn’t ordinarily do to going all out and doing all her chores for the day. Ask him what he needs help with, or make it a surprise! Fold his clothes, organize her closet, dust his room — doing anything to take a load off someone’s else might help in a bigger way than you imagine.
8. Drop off flowers on the front porch. Leaving a bouquet of flowers on someone’s doorstep doesn’t just have to be something you see in the movies, although it does make for a really charming scene in a romance film. Pick up a flower arrangement from H-E-B or from a local florist shop or buy a variety of flowers and arrange your own. If you’re worried about pollen allergies, try a fruit bouquet from Edible Arrangements (we have a location on Woodlands Parkway), and they’ll even deliver it to your friend’s house for you!
9. Circle of Compliments. I suppose the name has a bit of a “circus act” ring to it, but I promise it’s not dangerous! All this activity consists of is sitting in a circle (or whatever shape your dining table is) and highlighting each person by having everyone else say a wonderful thing about him or her.
10. Deliver cookies! Nothing beats a box of warm fresh cookies on a weekend evening except when the cookies come as surprise and especially when they’re FREE! Order a box of these ooey-gooey delights from Tiff’s Treats or Brown Butter Bakery, and have them shipped to your friend’s door. Or if you want to be extra-sweet, you can deliver them yourself — that way your friend will get two treats in one: a box of cookies and a personal visit from you.
Now that we've gotten your creative juices flowing, you might be able to crank out even more ideas for sprinkling care on the people around you, so have fun at it and enjoy the experience of making the world of happier place!
