Kindness Rules At Sweet Sixteen

Theodore Roosevelt, one of my all time favorite presidents, led the Rough Riders to victory, established our national parks system, inspired the creation of countless “teddy bears” and called us all to dare greatly:

 “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Two dreamers: Taylor and Bryanna (left to right)

 If Teddy Roosevelt were alive today he would be making a whistle stop in Bath, Maine to give a cheer for Bryanna and Taylor and their Morse High School Dream Team. On August 16, 2014, these brave hearts opened Bath’s first annual “Random Acts of Kindness Day,” and at least for a day they washed all of our cares away. From their Information Station on the corner of Front and Center to their “Children’s Zone” between Country Farm Furniture and Dot’s Ice Cream Shop, there were more than a dozen "Kindness Stations," and there was also an open microphone in front of City Hall for John Ater, Max Ater, The All Ways One Band and a stream of male and female musicians! August 16 turned out to be the sweetest day of the year in Bath because of the daring “can do” spirit of a rising high school senior. When I first met Bryanna, she was standing on the corner like the captain of a ship. The purple t-shirt that she was wearing had a “Be kinder than necessary” bumper sticker pressed across its front, and as she watched all the happy people walk by, she was grinning from ear to ear and bubbling over with glee! Bryanna’s mom, who was sitting at the Information Station, had pointed to Bryanna when I asked who was the inventor of this fabulous event. Later, when I congratulated Bryanna, she was quick to introduce her friend and fellow dreamer, Taylor. Both young women were eager to share the applause with teammates and, most especially, with their families, who had turned out in large numbers for the first ever Random Acts of Kindness Day! 

Leslie Trundy visits with fellow dreamers

Bryanna was a poetic 16 going on 17 year old  junior when she first joined Morse High School’s Dream Team and voiced her wish to start a Random Acts of Kindness Day in Bath. As fate and Bath would have it, Darreby Ambler, the founder of Dream Teams, had opened an office at 72 Front Street and was ready to develop a team at the high school. Darreby had already launched over 20 dream teams and over 100 dreamers, and she was enthusiastic about Morse’s team and Bryanna’s idea. Leslie Trundy, a guidance counselor at Morse, was also keen on helping Bryanna’s dream come true. The little engine that could was beginning to pick up steam; however, as Teddy Roosevelt’s famous speech suggests, there are always skeptics in the crowd. Would people come to a kindness event? Would anyone sit down at the “Listening Station” and talk to a perfect stranger (probably a trusted community leader) who promised to only listen? Would skilled participants gather at “Relay Knitting” and knit a few rows of a wool scarf for someone in need? Of course, people would “Take a Treat” from Tracey Bushnell at the Cosmopolitan Club’s station because how could anyone resist cookies and brownies baked by the kind ladies of Bath, and Tracey does in fact have a great smile! Pretty flowers are almost as irresistible as gingerbread, so the “Pick a Flower” from the Bath Garden Club would see a crowd, too. By the end of the day, there would be a line at the “Chair Massage” station where Ruthanne Greenlaw, a licensed massage therapist, was giving away relaxation as her random act of kindness. Personally, I have enjoyed one of Ruthanne’s massages at InspireMe, located in the Customs House, and I smile more often now! Massages make everyone feel better!

Beverly and June provide wisdom

The “Wisdom Station” was a definite wild card, but as a grateful recipient, I can testify that this station was pure genius! As a high school teacher who is accustomed to working with 14 to 18 year old students, I am not surprised that a group of teenagers organized an all inclusive, loving event, but I must also note the irony. Life experience has taught me that many accomplished adults are afraid of adolescents. Their unpredictable behavior, bold fashion statements and fiery choice of words, often drive mature men and women to sit as far away as possible from them at restaurants, movie theaters, or train stations! Simply stated, Bryanna and Taylor, the loving designers of “Random Acts of Kindness Day” are proof positive that teenagers are beautiful and should be hugged as often as possible! The endearing quality of the “Wisdom Station” and the “Children’s Zone” was undeniable from one end of Front Street to the other because they engaged all age groups!  At the Wisdom Station, I sat down to seek the advice of four residents of the Plant Home, Bath’s distinguished home for the elderly. I asked John, Alice, Beverly and June, what I should tell my own “adult children” (clearly an oxymoron). Without a moment’s hesitation, all four of the elders leaned in and replied in chorus, “Tell them nothing!” Now that is pure wisdom! Ironically, I am often more comfortable with teenagers than senior citizens, and I would not have sat down next to June if Betsy Pare, the owner of Maine Shades, had not invited me to take her place at the wisdom table. Betsy also kindly took her iPad and began snapping pictures to capture the love. Every photo taken shows that people did indeed come to Bath's “Random Acts of Kindness Day!"
 

Young artists offer to paint portraits for free

Traditionally, American girls celebrate their sixteenth birthday with as much exuberance as Mexican girls celebrate their “quinceañera,” their fifteenth birthday. I wonder if Bryanna and Taylor chose August 16 randomly? If they did, it was randomly brilliant because many of us remember 16 as being “sweet,” and I believe one of the sweetest stations was located on the far corner between Front and Water. The “Have Your Portrait Painted by a Child Artist” station pulled at my heart strings so strongly that I had to just stand and watch for a while. The event program listed cousins Sammy, Evelyn and Jonathan as the artists, but I also caught a glimpse of Goldilocks, a little girl with bright eyes and wavy hair, who looked remarkably like Leslie Trundy. Perhaps it was Leslie’s own little dreamer. After all, this day was definitely a family affair! One fine lady, who was having her portrait drawn by a young artist, had her dog, a beautiful tri-color Welsh Corgi, sit beside her. It was a picture right out of a Tasha Tudor story book! Of course, families include pets, so I brought my Dachshund-Sheltie, Penny, who received lots of compliments and lots of loving pats. She even received a treat at the "Animal Shelter" station.  All of God’s creatures were happy in Bath on that randomly kind day!

Father and son spell love

On planet Earth, there were some definite highs and lows in August, but the young and the young at heart of Bath clearly played a happy song on August 16 and allowed all who arrived on the corner between bitter and sweet to embrace kindness, to talk, to eat, to draw, to sing and be happy! I believe my hero, Teddy Roosevelt, recently portrayed by Robin Williams in “Night at the Museum,” would have approved of the sincere wish of Bryanna and Taylor, the hard work of Morse High School’s Dream Team, the caring guidance of Leslie Trundy and the courageous imagination of Darreby Ambler. One cannot help but notice that Darreby’s name suggests the “daring” acts that Teddy Roosevelt called us to perform. In the same way, one cannot help but notice that Robin Williams, that bright light of comedy, passed away on August 11, just days before Bath’s first annual "Random Acts of Kindness Day."  I don’t believe in coincidence; rather, I believe we live our lives on purpose and some paths are destined to cross. Whether we remember Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, as the Genie in Aladdin, as the therapist in Good Will Hunting, as Mrs. Doubtfire, as the teacher in Dead Poet Society, as the disc jockey in Good Morning Vietnam, or as Mork in Mork & Mindy, I trust we will all remember the way his random humor made us laugh out loud. For a while, he made us forget all of our troubles, and he made us feel happy! Mork ended every episode by reporting to his alien supervisor, Orson, on human behavior. Celebrating the life of Robin Williams, a writer for Time, James Poniewozik, recalled one of Mork’s closing observations: “Love doesn’t make sense. That’s why earthlings think it’s so wonderful.” Morse High School’s Dream Team poured us all a tall glass of love on August 16. In Orkan speak, “Nanu nanu!”   

A Welsh Corgi offers a smile to people passing by