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Re: CCT
My father "punished" me by making me do RAKs, or "random acts of kindness if I didn't live up to his expectations on the farm and in life. He defined a RAK as a 'random act of kindness.' I had to offer to help someone without them asking me to. I couldn't take a nickel for what I did, and if it was offered, I couldn't take a dime, and I couldn't tell them why I couldn't accept money. Why? My RAK was a punishment for failing to do something properly on the farm. There were days when I wanted to talk back to him about that punishment, but it didn't take long before I saw what he wanted me to do and why.
It made me a better man and a better human, and every time I helped someone without telling them why, I thanked my dad for everything he taught me before I went to bed. Dad left us on June 5th, 1994, and the last thing he had told me was, "Doc, Mrs. Brown down the way is having trouble with her lawnmower. Could you give her a hand?" I promised I would... and five minutes later, he dropped to the ground with a massive heart attack. My wife and I did CPR, but it didn't take long before we knew there would be no saving him.
The next day, I went down to help Mrs. Brown, and she was amazed I was there despite my father dying the day before. After I finished fixing what needed fixing, she offered me $5... which was worth a lot more then than now... I told her that Dad had asked me to help you, and that I can't take your money because he would disapprove. I told her to give it to the church and remember my father.
I've lived my life the way my father would have approved it. Sooooo... when you see me offering to help someone with a writing thing or something else, I consider it another "RAK" in the basket of love for Dad.
V
posted by
BigV
on August 27, 2026 at 3:55 PM
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Sadly some folk have a job to accept kindness. Maybe they feel that they will have to reciprocate and feel uneasy about the situation.
posted by
C_C_T
on August 27, 2026 at 12:04 PM
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