Small Acts of Kindness

People always say. Oh just a smile can make someone’s day. Things that might me nothing to one person and they might forget the moment they do them could change someone else’s day or maybe life. My days since in my community have been changed countless times by small acts of kindness. Here is a list of my top ten small acts of kindness throughout my day that can change any bad day into an amazing one:

1. When I receive a loving spontaneous text from my mom, my dad, my boyfriend, or a friend serving with me. Peace Corps has given me a phone which can receive and occasionally send text even internationally. Even the littlest message showing me that others are thinking about me and I am not being forgotten in my home in the US or outside of my site for that matter is so comforting. Even though I often do not have enough minutes to send messages to the United States I love to receive texts all the same.

2. When the mid-seventies grandmother, with smile lines etched into her face and her young granddaughter carry galloons of water to my house just because they could. The walk alone probably took at least 20 minutes with three galloons of water between them which can be heavy. Sometimes dreading to carry my water for the day I open my door to find smiling kind and selfless neighbors holding galloons of water just for me and my house. They expect nothing in return, but fill me so much joy and such a feeling of being cared for and appreciated in my community in these acts that to them seem simple and second nature.

3. When women around the community offer to do my nails or my hair. Many women here go to the salon monthly to get their hair done and are so fascinated by my “good hair” that is straight and not kinky. I have had my nails done here for free many times and women love to just run their fingers through my hair or offer to do my hair. I love even this small time of physical connection as sometimes Peace Corps life can get lonely. I also love the small acts of making me feel like despite my lack of running water to wash myself or my clothes I can still have my moments of feeling pretty with girly nails and clean, soft hair, giving me a small sense of normalcy.

4. The gifts of mangos, corn, eggs, yam, beans, plantains, and more. Last week I took a walk around the community and by the time I had finished my walk I returned to my house, back aching because I was carrying so much gifted food. My pile consisted of four ears of freshly picked corn, two frozen juice bags, two eggs, 5 mangos, and a belly full of a second breakfast and coffee. Often children will show up at my house with bags full of fresh mangos or yucca. I am often given whatever is being cooked in the house as I pass by. This fresh and amazing food is such an amazing godsend knowing that I might not have to go grocery shopping for a little while longs, sustained by these fresh delicious gifts.

5. My young sisters greeting me on the road even before I enter their yard. They are screaming and running towards me, “Carolina, Carolina”. I respond with “Mis amores, mis amores- my loves my loves”. They wrap me up in a fierce abrazo de oso- bear hug - a new type of hug that I taught them. These little girls always brighten my day and make me feel like a rock star. No matter if I have not seen them in 3 hours or in a week they still greet me the same, with a heart full of love and smiles to match.

6. A juicy bite into a tropic fruit picked straight from the tree. There are so many amazing and unbelievable flavorful fruits in my site. I have never had fruits with so much flavor and freshness in the United States. Here I can pick mangos, coconuts, cherries, grapes, passion fruit, banana, oranges, and countless other fruits that I had never heard of in the states. Taking a bite of a fresh fruit straight from the tree, covering my hands and face in delicious juices is an experience that I know I will never want to give up.

7. When I get a bola. A “bola” is a ride from a motorized vehicle. Many times I have been walking in the sweltering heat, sweating like crazy only to have a driver of a truck or a motorcycle to stop next to me and over to drive me where I need to go for free, he/she is going that ways anyways! These bolas often save me from so much time in walking. My favorite bolas are riding on the back of vegetable or fruit trucks which are large enough for me to stand up in, feeling the wind blowing through my hair, getting to my destination in no time.

8. When a washing machine is gifted to me. Knowing that I most often wash my clothes by hand in the two buckets I have at my house, many Donas have offered for me to use their washing machines for washing my clothes. Many Donas in my community have washing machines which can be used when there is electricity and consist of a four galloon container with a spinner in the bottom, probably 5 pounds without water in it. I recently was able to borrow a washing machine and bring it to my house to wash my clothes from a neighbor. This washing machine makes all the difference not only to protect my cracked hands and aching back from washing all my clothes by hand, but also simply gets my clothes so much cleaner, to their normal color and softness, which is so appreciated.

9. When I am offered food and insisted to stay and eat. I am very frequently invited to stay and eat meals at houses. Dominicans constantly offer me food and when I get up to leave insist that I stay. Often without even asking they will shove a plate of yucca, or rice and beans, or platanos into my hands and insist that I eat now. Even if I have just eaten I at least try to eat a little bit. Food is such a pride for Dominicans and a refusal of food can sometimes be interpreted as very offensive.

10. When I am given a strong loving hug as if I have not been seen in years. Dominicans greet each other by a hug and a kiss especially women to other women. At first was always nervous how to great people, should I just give a handshake, a handshake and a hug, a handshake and a hug and kiss on the cheek? It all seemed very daunting in 5 seconds of greeting someone to figure all of this, but I have seen then become very used to it. I love the greeting of the great big hug, kiss on the cheek, and often another hug just for good measure. The way that people great me is so amazing. Once again feeling like a rockstar, I feel like I am greeted like I haven’t been seen in years, making me once again feel so loved and cared for. Now I even have a hard not greeting Americans in the same enthusiastic way of a cheek kiss.

Some of these small acts of kindness I can’t imagine living without. I feel so lucky to be living within a culture with so much love, selflessness, and giving that I have never experienced to this extent. Despite some conflicts I morally have with Dominican culture I find myself falling in love with the people and the culture that surround me every day.