By Raquel, tenth grade:
My initial response o hearing about the #26Acts program was one of awe and concern. Performing a total of 26 good deeds sounded like a lot; I feared I wouldn't be able to reach my goal. I reminded myself of the cause, the 26 lives cut way too short by the killing in Newtown, Connecticut, and decided if there was even a remote possibil ity of impacting a life through this initiative, I would try it. As my day progressed, my pessimistic attitude changed, and I became confident. I began checking acts off my list and noticed a pattern; I did most of the good deeds listed on a daily basis, even when I didn't have an ulterior motive. I think dedicating an act to each victim is special and not even close to the far-fetched concept I originally thought it was. I realized that not only I, but many people, routinely do nice things for others and are just not sensitive to that fact. And even the smallest of my gestures got a response of thanks and appreciation.
It is impossible to justify the villainous occurrence that took 26 innocent lives, but the least I could do is hope the 26 acts of kindness I did in remembrance have a domino effect. If each recipient of my 26 acts did just one deed for someone else and so on, much more than just 26 lives will have been touched by this program. An overwhelming number of people could be positively impacted and that is what gives me an even greater sense of awe.
