Pat Moynihan recently came across a simple act of kindness made on the other side of the country; something known as a Ben’s Bell.
Moynihan explained that she stopped at Panera Bread to eat before attending GriefShare at Triad Baptist Church with a neighbor.
“I had a neighbor who lost her husband (recently) and we decided to go to Panera Bread before GriefShare,” she said. “When we stopped the car, I got out and saw something hanging from a small tree. When I walked over to it, that’s when I saw the bell with a tag attached to it. It kind of brightened my day.”
Moynihan said the tag had writing on both sides, English on one and Spanish on the other. The tag read, “You have found a Ben’s Bell. Take it home, hang it in your yard, and remember to spread kindness throughout our world.”
It was followed by a quote from Scott Adams, “Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”
“I really just wanted to thank them and let them know someone found the bell,” Moynihan said, not knowing about the project. “We hear all of this bad stuff on the news, but I want people to know there is good out there.”
According to www.bensbells.org, the mission of Ben’s Bells is to inspire, educate and motivate people to realize the impact of intentional kindness, and to empower individuals to act according to that awareness, thereby strengthening ourselves, our relationships and our communities.
The website states that recent research demonstrates that kindness benefits our physical and mental health, and recognizing kindness in others increases a person’s happiness and satisfaction.
Upon contacting the Ben’s Bell Project, the Kernersville News found that one cannot purchase a Ben’s Bell; they must be found.
According to an employee with the Ben’s Bell Project, “You can only find one that has been hung up by staff or board members, which could have happened since our staff and board members often travel to places around the country. Also, every once in a while when someone feels better, they will take the Ben’s Bell and hang it up for someone else to find, so they kind of travel around on their own.”
After learning about the Ben’s Bell Project, Moynihan said there are people in Kernersville doing similar things.
“I attend Holy Cross, but I also enjoy visiting other churches,” she said, noting one of those was Sedge Garden United Methodist Church. “When I was there, they were passing out a coin and a bracelet.”
The coin reads on one side, “Acts of kindness, encouragement and witness,” and on the other reads, “The Parable of the Sower Matthew: 13.” The bracelet reads, “Thou shall not complain.”
“I carry the coin with me everywhere I go to remind me to spread kindness and when I have a negative thought, I turn the bracelet over,” she said. “I have a lot to be thankful for.”
Since finding the Ben’s Bell, Moynihan said she has hung it on a tree in her yard.
“I have hung it on a special apple tree at my house,” she said. “The thought makes it so nice and it looks nice too. The idea that someone goes to the trouble of making these means a lot.”
Ben’s Bell Project is located in Tucson, Arizona. For more information about the Ben’s Bell Project, visit www.bensbells.org.
