Kindness

Kindness…I feel like maybe it’s taken me forty something years to start really appreciating this word, this quality, this attribute. Sure, I always knew the value of kindness. You can catch more flies with honey, right? Don’t say something if you can’t say something nice, right? These are all things we learn as kids, and they should stay with us into adulthood. But now I’m learning there’s more to kindness, like an inner light, and I think on some people, it’s much too dim and that is sort of a sad thing. It’s not that hard to be kind, to let your light shine a bit stronger, even strong enough to touch someone else. I believe it’s not just an attribute, but one of the most valuable ones we can have, and it’s something that should be instilled in our children maybe before anything else.

Throw kindness around like confetti.

It’s busy being a mom. We drive our kids around, feed them, and schedule them. We encourage them in their sports and personal life, maybe try to get some faith and religion in, and quiz them on spelling words and order AP study guides. But what about kindness? Where does that come in? And it’s not just us being kind to them, we also need to instill kindness, like teaching them to drive or to eat healthy. I have discovered, more than any other accolade, award or grade, having someone tell me my kids are kind is one of the biggest compliments I can receive. Instead of pushing others aside on the way to the top, isn’t it better to help someone up along the way?

Our world exudes negativity. I hear bashing all of the time, about our kids teachers, coaches, schedules, work, spouses, kids, obligations. But if we could only turn it around to shine, to be kind, couldn’t that spread like a great, good virile epidemic. Negativity is contagious, people can sit around and gossip, complain, vent for hours. And then they feel drained, exhausted, used up. But if we look around, isn’t it so much better to be grateful, compassionate, kind. And if one of us is uplifting, positive and kind, it spreads like a lovely glow. 

Be kinder than you feel.

 

And it’s easy. Think about going in a building and there’s someone behind you. How easy is it to hold the door for them, and better yet, smile? Maybe help an elderly shopper reach something on a shelf or let that guy with one grocery item go ahead of you in line. Or tell someone thanks. Or exude a little patience. Or try to turn someone’s negativity into something brighter and don’t go to the dark side of bashing. Kindness is easy. It doesn’t take up any more time. And it makes you feel good, stronger, happier.

There’s a song on a CD my yoga teacher gave to all her students, Nothing More by The Alternate Routes. It says, “To be humble, to be kind…We are how we treat each other and nothing more.” I love that, because it’s true. Slip a little kindness in your day. It’s good for you, and watch it, it just might spread.

Do all things with kindness.

Namaste, my friends.