#20Acts

These are only a few of the thousands of Tweets that are exploding all over Twitter. They are statements of a type of movement that is sweeping the nation. This is a “random act of kindness” movement in honor and memory of the fallen in a tragedy that unfolded in Newtown, Connecticut this past Friday.

This worldwide phenomenon broke out when NBC journalist, Ann Curry, tweeted about what if we all took our anger to action by doing 20 acts of kindness in honor of each child who died in the shooting. (Or 26 acts if we include the adults who were also killed). On Twitter Curry added, ”I’m in. If you are, RT #20Acts.”

This is a light that can emerge from the darkness of the horrifying event that came from that small New England town.

Image Source: Facebook RIP Sandy Hook Elementary School Children

The support for the Sandy Hook community has been worldwide. On Facebook and on news sites you can see pictures of people who are lighting candles or holding moments of silence in honor of the victims in places such as Canada and Brazil…even as far away as Pakistan.

What Ann Curry has encouraged via Twitter is taking the memory of these fallen and put it into action in “acts of kindness”.

That can be any kind of act, big or small. From paying for someone else’s groceries, volunteering at a soup kitchen or holding the door open for a stranger. All these done in rectitude of the children whose life were so wrongfully taken.

This is a beautiful call of action and responsibility as American citizens and as human beings. It is easy to sit and wallow in anger over the injustice of what happened. It is easy to have debates about ways to “fix this problem” from ideas such as bans or more gun control laws; all items that would take months or even years to accomplish.

What about what we can do right now?

Ann Curry proposed and put into feat an answer to this question; a quest that we as people make in our daily interactions with others where we pause to think of others’ needs.

This way no child’s life truly ended; simply because with each helping hand and act of kindness their legacy lives on. A light shines in this world as each person’s life is touched or bettered by another in memory of these children.

When others die it is important to do what we can to make sure their memory lives on. Even though they may not physically be on this earth any longer, their love can still be present. It can grow and flourish in choices made by others.

Source: NBC News Facebook Photo via @shorty213213

It is remarkable to witness the domino effect of this #20Acts mission as it unfolds. It is beautiful to see the Internet light up with uplifting tweets of people helping others in honor of those children in the days following the devastating tragedy.

Children are known for the joy they bring to the party. They are seen as shining rays of energy, life and positivity because they tend to see the good in others. As we watch this encouraging energy ignite the world in kindness in honor of the twenty children who died Friday…well it is truly awe-inspiring.