(80)Random Act of Kindness (The First)

80. Do five random acts of kindness

As a family of 5 on a single income, we struggle from time to time.  One thing I want to teach our children however, is that no matter what we are going through, there are people out there who are having a worse time than us.  There are people who are having a worse day, a worse week, or their life is far harder than ours.  Not to discount their feelings, of course, when they are having a rough day... but I really do hope they can grow to realise that they are very well off, considering.  Hence, the Random Act of Kindness (RAOK) goal.  I will admit - this is stepping out of my comfort zone because I worry about offending people.  But it's something I really do want to really do and to get the kids involved in, too.  Although with our first RAOK they older two weren't with me when it was handed over, they did know about it.

There is a homeless man - Wayne - who sits out the front of Myer in the Melbourne CBD who does water colour paintings.  Another kind person prints his paintings so he can make gift cards, and he sells them in the street whilst he paints.  We've known about Wayne for as long as we've been travelling to Melbourne, as Ty's mother often buys him art supplies.  I knew that if we went to Melbourne during my 101 in 1001 time period that I wanted Wayne to be a recipient of a RAOK from us.  This man, was like us.  He had a job, he had a home, he had a wife and a family.  And now he is homeless and has very little to his name.  He is a very good artist, I give him that!  But it just goes to show that you never know how your life might end up, what may happen.  Every time I have seen Wayne, he smiles.  He is very humble and very friendly.
It wasn't a lot but we as a family, and Ty's mum as well, bought him some art supplies.  Paint brushes and art paper suitable for water colour painting.  He doesn't know us, and we don't really know him beyond his name and a little of his story, and an admiration for his art work.  But I do know that what very little money he receives from his cards, he now won't have to put towards paint brushes and paper for a wee while.