As I've mentioned before, sometimes I feel overwhelmed by email, but I love it none the less because it connects people.

On the occasions that email connects people AND directs an action---ESPECIALLY A KIND ACTION---I just about flip out!

Case in point, I got an email from a friend today about "Sam's Day."  This is a totally local-to-St.Louis-thing.  If you are reading this and live in St. Louis, then you, too, could take action.  If you're not in St. Louis, you'll love the story and the huge act of kindness that Laurie Calzada is orchestrating.  Click through and check it out:  www.samsday.com

Yeah Laurie, I'll drink (a cup of joe) to that!

-Emma

The premise of the beautiful, touching movie, Pay It Forward, is that one kind act can ripple and cascading to touch many hearts.  However, usually you have to trust that this is the effect, you don't get to ride the ripple.

Just recently, though, I did get to ride the ripple.  Let me set the scene:  I send out a kindness-themed email every few weeks that has a simple idea or two (or three) on how to share kindness.  Last month's email focused on food & the gift of sharing home-made fare with others.  One of my suggestions was to share a recipe.  I was happy (and surprised!) when one of the readers sent ME an email reply with an easy super-chocolatey recipe.  It was great on three levels.  One, someone took action on one of the kindness suggestions.  Two, I was the lucky recipient of the kindness.  Three, the recipe was Triple Chocolate Cake and I LOVE chocolate!!!!!

The next ripple was that I used Pam's recipe to make two big Triple Chocolate Cakes for the volunteers who built the playground in our neighborhood this past weekend!  How sweet is that?!

I trust that the chocolatey-kindness ripple continues and touches other hearts on its journey.

Afterall, kindness is contagious...

Click here for more ideas on sharing kindness through cooking, and I've pasted the awesome chocolate cake recipe below, too.

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Pam's recipe for Triple Chocolate Cake:

• 1 box of chocolate cake mix with pudding in the mix
• 1 small box of chocolate instant pudding
• 1 small bag of milk or semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups of milk

Mix all the ingredients together, folding in the chocolate chips last.

Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  Test to make sure cake is done, you may get some melted chocolate chip on the tester, but that's OK.

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before turning onto plate.  (optional:  dust with powdered sugar to make pretty!)

This past weekend was hot in St. Louis.  Sure the temps reached for the 90s, but I'm talking HOT in the "cool" way.  The kindness-o-meter in my neighborhood was off-the-charts WHITE HOT!

This past Saturday, in the span of mere hours, an awesome playground was built by volunteers for the enjoyment of kids and families in the community. I mean at first there was nothing, then there was a purple playground.  Although it was astonishing for our neighborhood, KaBOOM builds playgrounds for neighborhoods through volunteerism all the time. [This is the same model Habitat for Humanity uses to build houses for the homeless.]

Folks showed up from the sponsoring company (Thrivent Financial for Lutherans), from the church who orchestrated the event, from the neighborhood, and from other neighborhoods.  The call for volunteers was loud and clear through the local high schools, universities, and even craig's list!  (Who knew you could find volunteer options on Craig's list?!  That is so cool!)

There were lots of ways people could help.  You could show up to work, you could provide some food (breakfast & lunch were provided to volunteers), or you could lend your tools.  It was a lot of hard work (my friend Sally shows off her "elbow grease" here), but at the end of the day everyone was more excited than exhausted.  It is an amazing feeling to be in the midst of something so pure in intention.

Really, it was clear that everyone at the build site felt a part of something important and true.  It's almost kind of addicting :)

I guess there are worse things than being a playground-building junkie, though, hee hee. 

My personal Super Heros are more like Humble Heroines.

In my 'deck' of Humble Heroines, two of them are named Sandra, and they both saved my day yesterday.  I won't get into the details, but you all know that some days are better than others.  On the not-best-days, the voices that share encouragement and proof that people are good and life can be fulfilling and creative, are a welcome relief from headlines and consumer fluff.

Yesterday, I was trying to make headway in my 550+ email inbox...ugh...when, what did arrive in my over-stuffed inbox but the Studio Newsletter from Sandra Magsamen (Humble Heroine #1).  Yay, perfect timing, Sandra!  Sandra Magsamen is the original heart-felt artist.  She is a master of simple words that work to encourage, inspire, and comfort.  I'm sure you've seen her style; she is THE  pioneer in using her scripted handwriting and whimsical art to communicate Messages from the Heart that connect people.  Her latest book, Living Artfully, is PACKED with ideas for spreading kindness through art and soul.  Her Newsletter yesterday arrived at the perfect time with a great story about women's support and kindness to each other in the face of illness.  A ray of sunshine, clear and warm.

My baby daughter was home yesterday because of a childcare snafu, and I was, I'm embarrassed to say, not 100% engaged in playing with her as my mind was still at work with the un-answered emails and projects that needed me.  And there I was, caught in my multi-tasking tracks by Humble Heroine #2) Sandra Boynton.  You have probably heard of Sandra Boynton, too.  She's another big spreader-of-kindness, primarily through children's books.  I actually grew up with Boynton books!  Today she is my don't-take-it-too-seriously role model.  This verbal vanguard has illustrated her books with fluffy animals touting tons of personality.  She has written the books with just as much (non-fluffy) personality!

a sincerely silly bookAs I was reading Moo Baa LaLaLa to Lilah and she was giggling and I was giggling, I become centered and aligned with the gift of the moment.  For the middle of a busy day, the gift to slow down is a super-hero power.  A chuckle from the heart, silly and sincere.

A bit of kindness inspiration from the Sandras:  one through art and the other through laughter.  They've been doing it for a long time & they are darn good at it!!

Check 'em out!  You'll feel good that you did.