Ron Kim Day

Making Connections

I live in St. Michaels, MD. I was in Target a couple of weeks ago and struck up a conversation with a young man in the Produce Dept. I asked him if Target could get Champagne mangoes, my favorite. He was not familiar with them. I introduced him to them and from there we talked about how I used them in my cooking. That led to the revelation that he is planning to open a Ramen Noodle shop in Easton, Md., about ten miles from me. YAY! I told him how much I was looking forward to his opening day. Later that day, it occurred to me that it might be useful for him to talk with a good friend of my daughters who is a world-renowned chef who owns a couple of Ramen-focused eateries in DC. I was in Target last Friday and saw the young man again. I mentioned the name of the chef and asked if he would be interested in talking with him. The young man's eyes lit up! I could see his smile under his mask! He said, WOW! Can you make that happen? I called my daughter right then and there and asked if she would facilitate such a meeting. She said she would get in touch with her friend the chef. She also suggested that the young man might be able to go to DC to shadow her friend for a day to see how the business is run. The young man practically jumped up and down with joy! He expressed great appreciation. It was so-o-o great to make someone's day and make them so happy. I did not post this yesterday because my daughter had not heard back from her friend. He did respond later and is very willing and happy to talk with my young friend from Target. Unfortunately, because of certain clauses in his contract with investors, he cannot allow my friend to shadow him. However, in addition to talking with the chef, my friend can go to DC and visit the eateries as a diner and glean whatever info he can from that perspective. I will see my young friend this week to give him the good news and pass on the chef's contact info. He will be so-o-o happy.

St. Michaels, Maryland

Birthday Cake Love

This year I wanted to do something birthday related seeing as RKD is on Ron's birthday. While at the grocery store this week, I stopped at the bakery section and asked if there were any birthday cake orders in the works as I would like to pay for someone's cake order. I left the attached note to include with the receipt and the woman who helped me thanked me for doing something so kind! The happiness I felt after this lasted all day! Love and miss you Ron xoxo

Connecticut

Discipline with Love

My wife teaches classes to a young boy who has a high level of energy and can sometimes be disrespectful to her and others. Sometimes I am at home working when he is here for classes and occasionally, I help with the teaching or more often, physical activities to help Francisco relax so he can get back to concentrating on class. One day I rebuked him for something he did and realized that he was on the verge of tears, so I said: "Francisco did something wrong, but we still love him very much," and gave him a hug. That is how we do it here in Brazil. I never met Ron Kim, but I can clearly imagine how he walked this earth, and I will be inspired by him whenever in doubt as to how to act.

Brazil

School Supplies

I did a school supply drive with my girl scout troop. We got a lot of donations, I got six to seven bags full of school supplies like pencils, notebooks, crayons, folders, and more!

 Takoma park

Coffee, Traffic and Generosity

Yesterday I decided to keep kindness close. I drove to work with the intention of letting every merging in, then waving at them. I over tipped at Starbucks. I shared the story of Ron Kim Day with every customer I had and saw them light up with excitement about a day (in this troubling time) devoted solely to kindness. Many said they too would join the movement. I offered each customer the choice to "round up for charity" and how we could collectively give back. By the end of the day "we" had collected close to $100 and I will be donating it to The Humble Project- a group dedicating to sharing the healing power of horses to inner city kids in L.A.
What a difference it made in my day to keep kindness close.

Maryland/Virginia

Life saving

I saw a man get his hand caught in the door of a public bus as it left the bus stop. He got pulled to the ground with part of his torso stuck under the tires of the bus. I ran to him, saw he was still breathing, and quickly coordinated with the other passersby to instruct the driver to back up. We managed to get him unstuck, and luckily, he was still conscious by the time first responders arrived.

Pittsburgh, PA

An unexpectedly helpful hike

I had wanted to participate in Ron Kim day but was unsure what I should do. Then, my husband and I went on a hike this weekend. About halfway through the trail, we came upon a family (Mom, young daughter, and her older parents in their 70s). They had been hiking but were unfamiliar with the park and did not know how to find the trail signs. They were hiking the opposite way that we were, and it was obvious that they were a bit lost and a bit in over their heads with the challenging nature of the trail. My husband and I decided to turn around and lead them back the way we had come. Which turned out to be a good idea as even with our assistance they struggled a bit with the tough terrain and natural rock barriers. We are so glad that we stopped to help then! It seems like something that Ron would have done, and we are glad we had the opportunity to honor his spirit this weekend! We have gone hiking many times over the past few months but have never had to help anyone, what great timing!

Scotts Run Nature Reserve, Virginia

Kindness spreads kindness

Happy Birthday to Ron. My good friend AJ told me about Ron Kim day, and I was very touched by Ron’s story and the efforts that have been made to keep his memory alive and to inspire others to consider acts of kindness. So, my kids and I were picking some things up at Target today. I thought of Ron while we stood in line, and I purchased a gift card for the cashier. Her name was Destiny, so it all seemed like the right thing to do. She was thrilled by our gesture, and I was happy to set out such an example for my kids. The elderly couple in line behind us were very cute in commenting on what a nice gesture it was. Thank you, Ron Kim. It felt great to speed some sunshine during these difficult times.

Bethesda, Maryland

Journal

When I woke up today, I wasn’t sure how I was going to commemorate Rob Kim Day. And then it just happened. It might not have been the most expected way, but it felt right to me. I was out for a long walk and realized I was approaching a small park I’d found a few months ago. The park has a bench with journals tucked underneath. There are entries a decade old and some from last week. Reading through them was a gift, so I left an entry of my own in the hopes that it might be a gift for someone else someday.

Washington, DC

Mandu Time!

Some of the best memories with the Kim clan are the many, many wonderful get-togethers making mandu. The eating of the mandu certainly has taken a massive dent without Ron, but his ever-present laughter and smile are always in the room wherever mandu is present. One of the countless great things about Ron was his acceptance of new culture and cuisine, and his willingness to share his own cuisine and Asian background with others in the best way.

Just as the larger Kim family introduced me to mandu, and Ed and Lisa introduced Erika to mandu, we will be introducing mandu to another member of the Foley family next weekend. It is a little late for Ron Kim day, but Erika and I thought of the idea as Ron Kim day approached, as a great way to celebrate my mom's birthday and do something truly Kim-spired. Ron will absolutely be with us while we celebrate and do something incredibly unique to the Kim clan.

Ron's kindness is heavily missed during these trying times, and we all want to continue living his legacy.

Chesapeake, Virginia

Intentionality

I decided to celebrate Ron Kim Day yesterday in hopes that the person I had reached would celebrate today. First, I finally did something that's been stuck on my to-do list for a couple of months now: sign up to volunteer for advancing racial justice. I put my name down as a volunteer for the ACLU and I'm hosting a Zoom event next month to start organizing around these issues. Second, I called my grandparents to tell them how grateful I am for them.
Third, I left $5 and a note at the grocery store about Ron Kim Day.
I never got the honor of meeting Ron Kim, but from what I've read and seen, he's a beam of light - so bright it's almost blinding! Maybe that's his kindness shining through.
Happy Ron Kim Day everyone!

Washington, DC