These simple instructions have been embraced by the Benalla community, and are bringing joy to the lives of people around town.
How? You ask.
This is the mantra of #randomactsofkindness a movement that has embraced the worldwide phenomenon of paying it forward.
The idea behind it is to do something nice for a random stranger.
Pay for the person behind you in the cafe’s coffee.
Leave an extra $10 when you pay for the weekly shop for the next shopper.
Leave a box of chocolates on a park bench for the next person to sit on it.
The ways to embrace #randomactsofkindness are only limited by the imagination.
And the Benalla community has been kind to strangers in a variety of ways.
One of the most touching was the random act of kindness experienced by Benalla’s Nicole Dalgleish.
‘‘My name was put forward for a random act of kindness by my friend Gemma,’’ Ms Dalgleish said.
‘‘And I ended up being given the most amazing cake, which was made by a lady called Candy Berry.’’
Ms Dalgleish’s mother sadly passed away earlier in the year, around the same time as her birthday.
‘‘So I didn’t celebrate my birthday this year. I hadn’t been in a good place,’’ she said.
‘‘So to get a birthday cake, and such an amazing one, brought tears to my eyes. Tears of joy.
‘‘I just couldn’t believe someone had done something so amazing for me, and didn’t expect anything in return.’’
Ms Dalgleish said she had the card and was planning to pay it forward, but was just waiting for the right moment.
‘‘I would like to do something for someone that makes them as happy as what Candy did for me,’’ she said.
‘‘So I am just waiting until the right moment and right person comes along.’’
And Ms Dalgleish is by no means the only person in Benalla to be touched by one of these kind acts.
When we put the call out on The Ensign’s Facebook page the response was amazing.
We were contacted by a number of recipients of kind acts, and people who had done something nice for others.
Beka Williams said she was glad to be an ongoing part of this ‘‘amazing initiative’’.
‘‘My heart feels full when leaving things for strangers to find and I’m off to leave this parcel (pictured) somewhere in (Benalla) today for someone special.’’
Kate Wagner also got in contact.
‘‘A few months ago I received a card with an attached gift voucher from Louise Adkins at Lavish Skin Therapy Clinic,’’ Ms Wagner said.
‘‘She had been given the ‘Random Act of Kindness’ card to gift anonymously at her discretion.
‘‘I then payed it forward myself and hope the recipient experienced the same positive feelings I did when presented with their gift.
‘‘I feel this movement really shows the compassionate and selfness nature of our small-town community.’’
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