I woke up this morning to the social media posts and news stories on the death of Robin Williams. Let me preface all of this by saying that I'm not a celebrity person. I couldn't pick out most celebrities in a crowd. I don't know the names of the actresses and actors in most of the movies I watch. I don't ogle over People Magazine's sexiest list. Robin Williams the celebrity was honestly not someone I knew a whole lot about. He was in essence a complete stranger as he was to most others reading of his death this morning, but as I was reading all of the news clips, it was a flood of memories and smiles that this stranger had put in my life. I'm pretty sure my family has pictures of my brother and I riding magic carpets as toddlers; Aladdin on in the background. And I know we watched Hook at least two hundred times. Third grade Amanda watched Mrs. Doubtfire with ten other giggly girls on Saturday night sleepovers. Then there was Patch Adams: one of the first movies I can remember crying during. My mom and I curled up on the couch with our box of tissues. Patch Adams was probably the first movie to really make me think. A positive person, a smile, a laugh, a new perspective. They can all change the outlook of a situation. I wanted to be the Patch Adams in the lives of those around me, and I have to say that is still true today. All of these memories that have one man, one stranger, in common; and my social media news feeds remind me that I'm not the only one. A whole nation grieving the loss of this stranger and being thankful for the memories he afforded them. What a legacy to leave.
And then there's the tragic part of the story. The side of Robin Williams that I'm sure not many people knew. To think of all of the lives he made better. All of the tough times in peoples' lives that were made a tad bit easier because they could laugh through one of his films as a short escape. All of the people who were touched by one his roles in ways that changed them. Like me with Patch Adams. How can someone who made so many people happy be so sad?
What if he just needed a stranger? A kind hand?
Through all of this today, there are two things that continue to convict my heart: the first is that a stranger can in fact have a positive influence on the lives of others, and the second is that you never know what someone is battling beneath the surface. It all just leaves me feeling like I can give more in my life.
I've done this thing around the holidays for the past few years. From Thanksgiving to New Years, I do what I call "Random acts of smiles" Don't judge the name. Honestly something I'd never thought I'd share, but once or twice a week during that time I do something that would make me smile. Leave an extra $1.50 in the Coke machine for the next person to use. Pay for the coffees of the next few people in line behind me. Buy McDonalds for the guy sitting bundled on the corner. Drop a small gift card in a random mailbox (actually not sure if that's legal. If not, oops :) I once put on the Salvation Army outfit for a while and gave the volunteer a few dollars for some hot chocolate. That was fun. I don't post these things on Facebook or Instagram. I honestly don't think I've ever told anyone about Amanda's random acts of smiles. It's a very personal thing that I use to keep myself grounded during a time of the year that sometimes feels too materialistic, but the reflection of today has me thinking, "why just the holidays?" I want to touch as many as I can.
I'm not a celebrity. Lord knows I'm not an actress. The number of people I can directly reach is probably not even 1% of how many people Robin Williams touched, but is any life impacted less revelant than another. One stranger can make a difference. One stranger can start a positive ripple, and the truth is that we can never really know how far that ripple continues.
So why am I telling everyone this now? One person can make a ripple, but what if one of you reading decides to join in? Two? Ten? One hundred? At the end of this year, how many "strangers" will be saying "Remember that time when.." And then they smile.
How awesome would it be if at the end of our lives, our success was measured not by the size of our estate but by the number of happy memories in which we took part in the lives of those we knew and also in the lives of those we didn't?
Just something to think about.
"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world" - Robin Williams
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