I wanna tell you all about human kindness and how what comes around goes around. It's a whole thread and I'm the main character.

Bear with me.

So I'm part of this Facebook group of incredible people: intersectional feminist parents, mostly women but not all. No cis men (you can make your own groups, I'm not here to talk about why we need non cis men spaces). I joined 2 years ago and I've had so much support.

I've made amazing friends through this group, even real life in the flesh friends I've had cuppas with. Members have bought my shopping when I haven't had the means to fill my cupboards and Christmas 2018, members sent my son presents (mostly secondhand) because I had no money.

Members provide so much emotional labour and I have learnt so much about classism, white privilege and racism, particularly.

Topics can get heavy, so we have light hearted threads too: meme drops, funny selfies, just for fun quizzes. Even posts just for compliments.

It's a group that builds members up, not tears them down. Members also often do RAOKs: Random Acts of Kindness.

One time I treated a random member to take their kiddo to see Frozen 2. Other members have given away a food shop, jewellery, baby clothes, art, books...

So I wanted to do a RAOK. A special RAOK. For some background, I've been dirt poor for 3 years. I've built up council tax arrears, energy arrears and I have no savings. I have lived paycheck to paycheck, borrowing from friends where I can to make ends meet.

Until March this year

My ex moved out and it was HEARTBREAKING. Like I don't know if I will ever heal.

But him moving out meant I changed jobs and applied for UC. In the space of a week, I received my final wage from one job, my first wage of another, and a UC advance.

I suddenly had over £2k in my account. It was like winning the lottery. I paid every bill in full. My council tax arrears, paid. My energy arrears to THREE companies, paid. My water bill, paid. Food in my cupboards. I bought my son some toys, me some books. It was like Christmas.

But I had money left over and I hadn't forgotten all the kindness I had been shown up to this point.

So I posted in that group I mentioned and asked people to paste their Amazon wishlists in the comments. I wanted to treat some people to things they really wanted.

It was addictive and before I knew it I had spent £100 on 20 members and I knew I couldn't possibly treat every single person.

Other members started joining in. First one or two, then ten, then twenty, then it seemed like the entire group was getting involved.

I linked my son's wishlist. I didn't need anything for me, but I said if anyone wanted to treat him please go for it.

Over the next few days, gifts started arriving. In that first week of lockdown, this wonderful group were sharing their joy of receiving a parcel of kindness.

I made myself a self care wishlist & posted it on the thread on a whim. Please treat me last, I have financial security for the first time in 3 years, I don't need anything.

But since then, my son has received EIGHT gifts, I've received at least 4. But that isn't the best part.

This thread BLEW UP. Everyone was getting involved. So the admins set up an official thank you thread, and an official wishlist album for everyone to post their links, all alphabetized, with a system to see who has been treated and who hasn't, so no one is left out.

Receiving gifts off the back of this was nice. It feels amazing. I have CRIED every time I've opened my parcels.

But for me the most amazing thing is seeing all these people show how much they care about each other, sometimes practically strangers, in the middle of a pandemic.

And I know I'm totally bragging, but...

I DID THAT.

I inspired that, and I'm very proud. I'm going to keep surprising people every month, with little gifts as long as the wishlist threads stay up.