nablopomo day 17: random acts of kindness

Whenever I have a friend going through a tough situation, one that I have no ability to make any better, I often feel helpless.  I hear myself saying things like "don't worry," and "no way but up!" and "things will definitely improve," knowing how hollow the phrases sound even as they're leaving my lips.  This usually results in my feeling an incredible amount of guilt, like I'm the worst friend ever for not knowing exactly what to say to cheer my friend up.

While my life is generally awesome, these days we've been dealing with some issues that are really out of our control, and I recently shared some of what we're experiencing on the phone with a good friend who lives out of town.  She said all of the right things while we spoke, of course.  But then, yesterday, unexpectedly, the cupcakes above showed up unannounced at my door.  Slipped into the box was a note from my friend, telling me she was thinking of me.

People, I cannot tell you how much this meant to me.  It was such a great reminder that sometimes being a good friend doesn't require knowing exactly what to say, but just showing that you've got your buddy's back.  (And for those of you who already know and practice this, let me just say that the people on the receiving end of your care really, really appreciate it).

Happy Love Thursday, friends.  May you be the recipient of a random act of kindness today.