70 Acts of Kindness by December 7th

On September 27, seventy days before her seventieth birthday, Denise Lopez-Majano launched a special community campaign. Would people join her in extending seventy acts of kindness between now and December 7?

If you already know Denise, you know that kindness is her calling card. She routinely concludes work emails with reminders for self-care, asking: “what good thing will you do for yourself tomorrow?” For Bridget Collins, MEAction Maryland Chair, the answer often involves collaborating with Denise. “Working on advocacy with Denise has been so amazing,” Bridget says. “Denise approaches projects with the same empathy and dedication that she brings to our Friendship.”

For those who don’t know Denise, her life is a model of radical compassion. She is the parent and caregiver to two adult sons diagnosed with ME as children in 2005 and 2006. As she notes, “My sons need 24/7 care. Among other things, they can’t cook, clean, drive, or do laundry, and have never been well enough to develop the skills needed to live independently, or finish their formal education.” She has dedicated her life to their care.

In 2007, she decided to become involved in advocacy, appalled at the lack of ME funding, research, and treatment. “I want to be part of making a difference in the lives of people with ME and those who care about and for them,” she says.

Today, in addition to advocacy work with the Maryland and Pennsylvania chapters, she facilitates one of MEAction’s monthly support calls for caregivers of people with ME and other associated conditions.

Laurie Jones, Executive Director of MEAction, appreciates Denise’s commitment and kindness to other advocates while shouldering her own caregiving responsibilities: "Denise has so much passion and dedication to this work. She has so much she juggles with caregiving and she still takes the time to check in and send chocolate chip cookies to organizers on the ground."

In the spirit of mutual caregiving, Denise hopes to spark a cascade of kindness to bring warmth and joy to the ME community.

The first act she suggests is for people to be kind to themselves. “So many people in this community are so giving,” she says. “I hope people realize that what they do represents acts of kindness.” People could note three things they like about themselves or talk to themselves as compassionately as they would a sick friend. She hopes that in treating themselves with greater care people will better appreciate their own value.

From there, Denise hopes people will extend acts of kindness to others as they are capable.

Here are some examples she cites, listed according to battery level and expense. 

Choose an action that is sustainable for your level of function. For instance, if what you can manage is to think good thoughts of someone, that counts as doing something kind.

You could also:

• Share an unexpected smile with someone.

• Highlight kindness on your social media.

• Check in with someone who may benefit from a kind hello.

• Make a list of people you are thankful to know. If possible, let them know that you are thankful for them.

• Get in touch with someone in your past and tell them why you were thinking of them.

• Share a good laugh or cry with someone who needs it.

• Take the time and energy to really listen to someone.

• Offer encouragement to someone who is going through a rough time.

• If someone provides good service, let them (and their boss/company) know.

• Send an amusing postcard or card to someone who could use a laugh.

• Message a researcher and or clinician and let them know you appreciate their work. If you have the capacity, feel free to message several and let them know you appreciate their work.

• If you have the means, make a contribution to an organization that means something to you.

• Finally, Denise asks that people ask for help and kindness when they need it. This is also a kindness to others, she notes, because you are giving people the opportunity to do something kind for you.

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating Denise and her contributions to the community by joining her first-of-its-kind kindness campaign. Can we reach seventy acts of kindness in seventy days?

What opportunities for kindness will you choose? Be creative, and kindly share what you hope to do in the comments.