My friend Marcia Epstein has committed an act goodness. Yay Marcia! She writes on Facebook:
Diane, in your honor: This evening I bought groceries and the cashier was not having a good day. So I added a Snickers to the end of my pile. After the candy was scanned I asked the cashier to hand it to me.
And then I handed it back to him and said, “This is a treat for your break.” First he stared at me. Then he beamed and said “This just made my day!” and continued smiling.
It never occurred to me that anyone might respond to my project by actually committing goodness. That makes this wonderful story doubly fun.
I think Marcia’s act qualifies for the category of Goodness Personified, and it gives us a clue to the nature of goodness: At the very least, it’s acting thoughtfully toward other people — an ability I sometimes lack.
I’d love to hear about other acts of goodness committed in random and senseless ways, or even through organized efforts. Have you done something that smacks of goodness? Do you know of others who have? Please post your story here, or send it to me at hopeandpolitics@yahoo.com. Let me know whether it’s OK to use your name
By the way, I posted Marcia’s story and used her name with her permission. Marcia is the director of Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence, Kan. She has also asked that I spread the word about National Suicide Prevention Week, Sept. 5-11. Each suicide not only robs the world of the wisdom, talents and love of the person who dies, but it also intimately touches six other people.
In Search of Goodness 
The idea of random acts of kindness have been around for a while, and you might want to look into those: http://www.actsofkindness.org/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_act_of_kindness might be starting points. Marcia’s act seems to fall right into that purview, and I’m cheering for Marcia!
It has occurred to me that small acts may be the kind of goodness that in some ways is most meaningful, because they don’t carry baggage. I’ve just blogged about that and an article on goodness, it may be of interest.
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Thank you for your tender insight on goodness. I have been convinced that the little gifts of goodness have the power to bring about a transformation into troubled lives. May the Holy Spirit continue to use you for the good work He has begun in you.