Growing up, my family fasted every Friday in Lent by not eating meat. I still follow that discipline.

I confess that observing meatless Fridays has always been a pleasure for me, not a hardship. It still is.

Married to a man who thinks it’s not a meal if it doesn’t include meat, I welcome meatless meals.

It seems that every single thing today ends up being a controversy. If you do much reading online about Lent, you know what I mean.

I’ve been reading chastisements that question one’s motive in fasting.

It’s supposed to be a sacrifice, we’re told, one that brings us closer to God. If not, Lent doesn’t have much meaning.

Well, finally there is a “niceness movement” gaining popularity across the country that challenges us to observe Lent by consciously doing at least one nice thing each day for others.

Surely even those who don’t believe in Lent or in Christianity itself can’t find fault with doing nice things for others.

I think most of us want to do good. If the opportunity to do a good deed presents itself, we will do it.

As I listened to a motivational speaker talk about observing Lent by finding ways to do something nice for others, I gained a new perspective about what that means.

“Some think it has to be a big, bold action. That’s not true. It’s in doing little things that we can gladden hearts with just a little niceness,” said the speaker.

Her examples of “little things” surprised me:

Give someone a hug.

Smile at strangers.

Give someone a sincere compliment.

In a line of traffic, let another car waiting to get in go in front of you.

Phone a friend you haven’t talked with for a while.

Ask an elderly neighbor what you can do to help.

Help someone carry groceries to the car.

Make an effort each day to encourage someone.

Mostly, all of the speaker’s suggestions were little things. And that’s the whole idea of the Lenten niceness movement. Everyone can join in regardless of age, physical condition or personal circumstances.

My friend Linda has her hands full taking care of her husband and driving him three times a week for kidney dialysis. It’s a long wait each time.

Normally a reserved person, Linda said as part of her niceness movement she makes an effort to talk with other caregivers in the waiting area.

“I’ve learned how a simple conversation can help others,” she said. “We share our solutions to problems and offer helpful information like where to find a good pain specialist.”

When the motivational speaker mentioned letting someone get ahead of us in the grocery store, I had a twinge of conscience thinking about how I rush to get in front of other shoppers.

That’s also true in a parking lot. Isn’t it true that we often all but mow down another car trying to get the one empty parking space we want?

This week my friend and I must have encountered another motorist who believed in the niceness movement. As we approached the one remaining parking spot, another car was waiting in the opposite direction. My friend waved the other driver into the spot. He didn’t take it. Instead, he motioned for us to take it.

It was almost comical but it sure wasn’t the typical parking lot encounter.

This week in Sam’s Club I had an encounter with a pushy woman.

The checkout lines were crowded and we all just had to patiently wait in line. When we were next, a woman pushed in front of me, saying she was there first.

“No,” I told her. “You weren’t, but I want to be nice so you go ahead.”

Instead, she started yelling that I turned my head so she was entitled to go in front of me.

Usually I might say something to retaliate. Instead, I told her it was a beautiful day outside. “I want you to go ahead and have a beautiful day,” I told her.

Her reaction? She looked mad.

I, on the other hand felt good.

Think about it. When we tell someone off, does an angry encounter make us feel good?

Now think about how you feel when you do something nice.

The daily interactions of my incredible neighbor Gayle continue to teach me how to look for good deed opportunities.

There are a few old people on our block who don’t go for walks anymore because they fear falling.

I’ve watched Gayle hold on to a woman using a walker then walk very slowly with her. Very slowly.

The result was a woman who hadn’t walked in the neighborhood for a long time got a bit of exercise and could talk with neighbors.

Some people are good role models for us.

My friend Fran, an accomplished nature photographer, made some beautiful cards with some of her photos. She then gave her friends several of these cards, asking them to write a message inside and send it to someone who needs it.

Thanks to Fran, I had the incentive to send the cards to let some people know they weren’t forgotten.

Like most of us, I am filled with good intentions but often I don’t follow through.

Hopefully, as Lent ends, the niceness movement will still continue. Perhaps it will help me get a bit better at follow-through.

Contact Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net.