Mountrail County Promoter - Columnists

In A World Where You Can Be Anything, Be Kind
This is always one of my favorite times of year to follow the Mountrail County Health Foundation on Facebook. Every November, they celebrate Intentional Acts of Kindness.
For those 30 days, random community members are asked to help spread those acts of kindness. They are given a 30 days of Blessing packet. They may choose to give that packet to someone they believe are making a difference in the community. They may choose to put that packet in a random location for someone to find. I’ve participated in the past as one of those chosen to give out a packet and I have chosen both options.
The packet includes a gift card to a local business and a list for each day of the 30 days of blessing. It gives you ideas of things to do each day to brighten someone else’s life. It can be as simple as smiling at someone just because, baking cookies for someone, sending a random person flowers, and just spread that kindness to others.
Each day their Facebook page has a different quote also going along with the theme. You may also find pictures of the person who was selected to receive a blessing packet.
Last week, school students were also getting in on the fun on World Kindness day. Students in classes were given the opportunity to go recognize people they thought were making a difference. They delivered a card signed by each kid in the class along with a gift card.
There were so many worthy recipients including school staff members or students making a difference. They chose some businesses and the Mountrail Community Food Pantry.
Mrs. Dacut’s sixth grade class chose our office. Her class is continuing a tradition that started when Penny Sigloh was teaching sixth grade. She came into the office and asked about getting newspapers for her class each week. We happily provided the papers and we were told the students enjoyed the projects with using the newspapers.
When she moved out of the sixth grade classroom, they continued to come get newspapers each week and we are still doing it a few years later.
Her class recognized us for providing them with free newspapers each week that they use in Social Studies for weekly article writing. She said our support has been a meaningful part of our classroom learning and they are grateful for our continued kindness to the school community.
I never imagined when we started this that it would still be going strong. I love that we are sharing a newspaper with kids in the classroom in a time when newspapers are often overlooked in favor of the immediate gratification of the internet. Small community newspapers give you something different. We tell you the stories of people in your community. We provide you with information about events that are happening. We provide you with the sports team information and results. We are the ones that preserve those stories for future generations and we are proud to be part of our communities.
As we go through the rest of November, we should all follow the Health Foundation’s advice. In a world where you can be anything, choose to be kind. The smallest gesture can make a big difference in the life of another person. You never know when that smile along with a “hi” or “good morning” will be just the thing to brighten someone else’s day.
I saved this Facebook post a while ago that goes along with this theme. It is titled “Here’s what’s cool” and no author was listed.
Any of these ten things fit right in with acts of kindness for you and those around you.
1. Saying “thank you”.
2. Apologizing when you’re wrong.
3. Showing up on time.
4. Being nice to strangers.
5. Listening without interrupting.
6. Admitting you were wrong.
7. Following your dreams.
8. Being a mentor.
9. Learning and using people’s names.
10. Holding doors open for others.
A Few Truths About Tough Times
This list has been hanging out in my saved files on Facebook. This has been a tough time for many in our community. This list was posted by Dr. Ahmad Sabirin Arshad.
1. If you accept tough times are part of the seasons of life, it will keep you from sinking into depression.
2. Maintain a healthy perspective. Going through tough times doesn’t mean you are not blessed, you are actually being prepared for something great. Preparation is often not easy but it is the foundation of better things to come.
3. Tough times will reveal to you your true friends and expose the fake ones.
4. Tough times will introduce to you real friends who are attracted to your purpose.
5. The best ideas tend to be conceptualized in tough times.
6. Sometimes God allows you to go through tough times to wake you up and get your attention especially when you have become too familiar with Him.
7. Sometimes you have to reach a dead end where no one but God can help you, so that no one but God can receive the glory. 
8. Great people have learnt the art of converting tough times into a path to being a master of something.
9. There are some lessons that tough times will teach you that good times can’t.
10. Tough times will open your eyes to see opportunities and doors that complacent you did not.