KINDNESS

“No act of kindness no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

There has been some talk saying that kindness and empathy is weakness -- Being kind to a stranger or someone in need is scary and now people just watch while recording on their phones as being un-kind is becoming the new normal. Hearing that can only do one thing and it just stops me in my tracks!! How can it be that what we were taught as children and what we know in our hearts of hearts to be love is now contradicted? I call bullshit.  We are all the same. We want the same things in life… to be loved, to be heard, to laugh and live the best life we can. We are all human beings who bleed the same blood and feel the same things and want our basic needs to be met. Why is this world so divisive? Why is there war? Why are we being told to hate one another? Again, I call bullshit. We are better together!! We can do better!! When we collectively raise the vibration of our souls and the love we put out into the world – then will we see a move towards something that hopefully is better than what is going on now. Everyday we have the opportunities to literally be the change we want to see in the world and it all starts with – Kindness and You.

Yesterday I watched a video that is what really sparked this topic selection.😊 It was a video of a guy who bought a ton of roses from a flower shop to give out to the old folks in a care facility. The sheer joy and love these folks had in their eyes just brought tears to my eyes. “A rose for me? One lady said as if it’s been 50 years since someone gave her a rose. Another woman cried and said “She really needed that rose today.” Her sister was on her deathbed across the country and she couldn’t be there with her so the rose was for her. We are so quick to dismiss the older community but man the stories and these lives that these people have lived. They are the treasure troves of humanity. If there’s anyone that you choose to show kindness to, make sure it’s the older folks. Even if they’re grumpy, we are all going to get there one day. God willing. And in that moment, I hope there is someone being kind to me.

The Butterfly Effect – I’m sure you’ve heard about it or have seen the movie and have an understanding that the things we do can cause reactions that change the trajectory of a path. Well, that’s how I view kindness too. That one small act, holding a door open for someone and giving a friendly smile can snowball into the next kind act and the next. Someone could be having the worst day and one small act from a stranger can turn it all around. I’m not saying you have to talk to someone or hear their life story – but things like “hey, I’ll take that cart back for you.” or smiling at someone as they cross your path. Kindness goes a long way and not only does it uplift those around you but it does something to your own inner workings and raises the vibes and it grows. That one act can be fluttering around town on the wings of 7 other people by the time the day is done. I hate to wear down all the old cliches but for this blog its certainly true. IT COSTS NOTHING TO BE KIND.

So now we live in this new world where everyone has their head in their phones. We have lost the awareness to those around us and a lot of us are all consumed in this new tech that has taken over our lives. Is this real life? Not really. I miss the days before technology exploded our world. I remember having a cordless phone in our house was a big deal and it was exciting to come home to see if you had messages recorded on your answering machine. Conversations were had at the dinner table and we played everyday until the streetlights came on. That was real life. Those memories are the ones that I will cherish until I’m old and grumpy. There was a time when communities relied on each other and human interaction happened in real life, in real time. It was a beautiful time. Now the question remains, how do we be the example for our children in these new times where their heads are going to be in the phones. That’s the new challenge kindness faces. We as the middle age group Millennials, must teach our children how to be kind. I’m lucky to have grown up with a mother who worked with special needs children. I’m grateful to have that perspective of life early on but now a days are kids learning empathy and kindness? Are we rearing children that will be nice to us when we are old? It’s up to us now to be the best examples of kindness in our daily lives or the world will be lost forever. We also need to be kind online. There is a person on the other side of that interaction. WE CAN NOT LOSE HUMAN CONNECTION.

I hope I am not the only one out there feeling thoughts about kindness. It really is disheartening to watch the news or watch the suffering of others. My heart has been very heavy knowing the things going on in the world and even that things are so different. Makes me glad Mr. Rogers isn’t around to see what is going on in our neighborhoods. But yet, I wish he was. We need more Mr. Rogers and people that stand up and speak out for kindness. Sounds silly but I miss seeing the MTV music video of “We are the World” and for a moment in time there was a togetherness. You don’t see much of that anymore. Remember, life is short. Time truly is a thief, and I don’t know why time feels like its speeding up now but here we are. We’ve got to strive for the light. Be Kind. Be Aware. Have Empathy. I hope you made it to the end of my little soapbox here. I hope you are somebody that may be feeling this too and needed to hear it from a friend. We all have the choice of how we want and can present ourselves to the world. The space we want to take up or the light we choose to give. So, with that I’ll end. Be kind, whether its to your neighbor, a stranger or yourself.

In the darkness, bee kind.