For the past 3 months, I have been bringing flowers and art supplies to Mountain View’s Pioneers park and inviting people to engage with me in acts of disruptive kindness. It has been full of amazingly sweet moments and great lessons. One of the most memorable days for me was when Kasia and her son Aku first joined me on the blanket.

It was a cold Wednesday afternoon ... and Aku brought his light and aliveness to our "Kindness in the park" blanket. That day, he taught me humbling lessons about engaging in acts of kindness with joy... and without attachment to outcomes.

Aku gave to the old, the young, the mothers, the fathers, the children, the single passers-by with his whole mind, heart, and body stopping them in their tracks and opening their hearts. And we all watched as we gave him more flowers and rocks to pass on.

He gave flowers to a mom playing on a blanket with her young baby... A simple gesture, a sacred moment which brought tears of tenderness to his mom’s eyes and mine...

He offered a rock and some flowers to a young man playing with his two-year-old son, Oliver, and the two children hugged ...

While we adults wanted to protect him (and ourselves) from a broken heart, Aku also gracefully received “No, thank you” twice with a big smile. He simply came back to the blanket, his smile still radiant, saying “ He did not want it” and eagerly looked for the next human being that would receive his gifts.

When we thought we had learned all we could from him, Aku blew our minds a few more times...
He made a card that said “Open this and see what’s inside” and inside, he drew a man in a boat (I believe) and wrote “ Breathe the air.” ... After cracking us open with this simple reminder, he gave the card to a little girl while her mom watched in awe.

Finally, as we started wrapping up, Aku announced that he would organize his own “Kindness in the park” and he did the very next day thereby spreading more kindness around and into the hearts of friends and strangers alike.

Oh Aku :)