I've been working and reworking my Random Acts of Kindness column for about a week now.

For the Southeast Missourian, this event is special, much like Toy Box or Christmas for the Elderly. It's a major sponsorship on our part, and all employees must participate, whether they feel like being kind or not.

Luckily for me, I enjoy RAK week. Not only do I enjoy it, I look forward to it, because I like to see what people can do when asked. There's a special type of spirit in the people in our region, and when they rally behind a cause they REALLY rally.

As with Toy Box and Christmas for the Elderly, RAK week tends to bring the best out in people, and I love that. In fact, I can generally be found bending over my keyboard whenever these events roll around, misty-eyed over the kindness reports we receive.

I thought about centering my column around those kindness reports, but I couldn't find one that really represented what this celebration means to me. Besides, there were so many of them I just didn't want to take the time to narrow down my column to only one.

It's hard to express how nice I feel when I see youth volunteering to clean up the Civic Center, or when an elderly person is told to cancel her cab because she's getting a free ride home, or when a yard is cut without charge. People seem almost to save their kindness up for this week, or else they just have an overwhelming urge to be an overachiever the week after Mother's Day.

In the spirit of RAK week, I want to thank all those people who haven't saved up their kindness towards me in the past year. These are people who, whether they know it or not, have made an impact in my life and deserve a special thank you just because.

So here goes. If your name is not on this list, don't take it personally. It just means the list was too long for me to get everybody in this week's issue.

Big Random Acts of Kindness Week shout-outs to:

- My parents, for being the greatest, period.

- My sister, who is definitely an overachiever when it comes to her role as TI Ti.

- My husband, who works hard to give me and the kids the best he has to offer.

- Jerry and Patrick Jr., for reminding me daily what God's blessings are all about.

- My Charleston family, the best cheerleaders a girl could have.

- My Perry Chapel A.M.E. Church family, for guiding the spiritual growth of me and my children.

- The Clique, who make weekends and evenings doable in my hectic life.

- Peggy Scott, who helps me make sense of my work days and provides good professional insight.

- John Ramey, for being a sounding board and, more importantly, for remaining consistent.

- Sharon Sanders and Renda Eggiman, for making my job easier.

- Niecey Campbell, for taming the naps on my nape.

- Ma Dear, for being my grandmother.

- Aunt Thelma -- The Aunt, for keeping it real and showing me what I want to be like in 25 years.

- Nancy Jernigan, Dr. Paul Keys and John Reed, for giving me guidance and helping me to hang in there at the Cape Civic Center.

- The Cape Civic Center Board of Directors, for sticking it out with me.

- Twan Robinson, for indulging my request to talk it out with God just one more time to see if he had another answer for her.

- Bev Delph, for the daily inspiration via e-mail.

And finally, to every one who reads my column and takes the time to write, call or stop me just to say something nice. I always say it, and I always mean it: You make it all worth while.

~Tamara Zellars Buck is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.