Being unkind

If someone is unkind to you, is that a good reason for you to be unkind to them?  I'm sure you already know that the answer is no.  Our kindness should not be based on what we get back.  Now I am not saying we should allow someone to hurt us.  There are times when the bast thing to do is just walk away.  There is never a good reason though for being unkind.

let me talk to you

Let me talk to you about hospitality or niceness or affection or helpfulness or warmth or unselfishness or benevolence or consideration or warmheartedness or friendliness or neighborliness or charitableness or gentleness or understanding or thoughtfulness or generosity or big-heartedness - in other words, kindness.  That's what this daily blog is all about.  Come join us each day and tell your friends too!

from Ralph Waldo Emerson

Essayist, poet, and lecturer Ralph Waldo Emerson said "You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." How true.

surrounded by loved ones

We have all hear the phrase surrounded by loved ones when a person passes away. In my thinking, one of the kindest things anyone can do is to simply be there. Not everyone has family, but we can all have friends - loved ones. Let us be there not only in the final hours, but all through life.

walking the earth like brothers

It's been many years since Martin Luther King Jr. said “We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers.” When will we learn?

Jonah's words

"It is a popular trend nowadays to say love is very much conditional. I've heard people compare it to a glass of water that eventually runs out when love isn't reciprocated. This encouragement of selfishness must stop," says my friend Jonah Kim. "True love is an infinite well and is absolutely unconditional," Jonah says.  I've shared this before, but it's important.  He concludes "True love feels almost helpless in its endless giving, without asking for anything in return.  And if the ones you love love you back, there is nothing more beautiful, precisely because we love without premeditated expectations."

thanks Mom

When Mom passed away on March 25th in 2013, I was a basket case. Seeing a loved one die is a difficult thing. Since then though, while I still miss her a lot, I have become stronger. Everything I am is because of her. She was one of the kindest people I ever have known and also one of the most loving. Mom also left me a note to read after she was gone. In it she said I had been the best son a mother could have, and she wished me a good life. "We'll be together again someday" was how she closed. Thanks Mom, for everything.

make it so

Every now and then I hear folks say they are looking for a kinder world.  That of course would certainly be wonderful, but don't forget that we each have the power to make it so!

Acts of kindness

Every now and then I have listed things we can all do to show kindness toward others. Here are some more: Volunteer to be a tutor in a school. Buy a pack of brightly colored stickers and give them to children you meet during the day. Let the person behind you in the grocery store go ahead of you in line. Invite someone new for dinner, either in your home or in a restaurant. Give toys to the children at a shelter. Say nice things randomly to facebook and twitter friends. Buy some bottles of water and randomly hand them out to strangers on the street. Drop off a plant or a plate of cookies to your nearby police or fire station. Please add your own ideas below!

Surprise dessert

When I'm in a restaurant, I seldom order dessert, especially when I am eating alone, but I recall one time when the waiter approached my table with a beautiful looking orange kanten, telling me the table across the room had sent it.  I glanced over and realized that the couple seated there were people I knew.  How lovely though - a nice surprise dessert!  What a kind thing to do,

This is your family

Athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick says "My parents told me from the time I can remember that, 'Yeah, you're adopted. But this is your family.' I can remember my mom, she tells me this story: when I was little, I was looking at her, and I was like, 'Why isn't my skin the same color as yours?' 'Oh, you're adopted, but I wish I had pretty brown skin like you,' said Mom."  From a caring family came this caring American hero.

Is is really spring?

Funny how the weather varies from place to place.  Where I grew up there might be snow on the ground this time of year, even though it is officially spring.  In some places it's even hot.  Yes, it's really spring, even if it doesn't seem like it where you are.  Why not pick up a nice bouquet of flowers to put you in the spirit?  Wait!  How about picking up two bouquets and giving one to a friend?

simple

There is no secret or hidden message here in these daily postings.  It is as simple as it appears.  My message is one of kindness.  I want to be a kinder person and I want to encourage others to do the same.  It's simple.

keep them

The best way to keep the people in your life, is to not give them away.  Keep them and be kind to them.

blessings of the day

One Saint Patrick's Day (probably long ago) I was blessed with these words: "May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far. Have a long life and a merry one, a quick death and an easy one, a pretty girl and an honest one, and a cold pint and another one!"

popularity

Some folks may think of life as a popularity contest, but that's not how it is.  No matter how hard we try and how nice we are, there will always be those who don't like us for some reason.  Don't let it get you down.  Be yourself.  Stay positive.  Keep spreading the love, even when it is not returned.

True Saying

It's an old saying but it is just as true now as ever:  "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Wisdom from James Clear

Author James Clear wisely tells us "Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you are becoming."

hello

The telephone company used to say "reach out and touch someone" and "long distance is the next best thing to being there."  I'm not sure how many of us think about it, but hearing someone's voice can truly brighten our day.  Not everyone can get out and see folks and if you are stuck indoors and alone, it can become overwhelming.  Take a few minutes and say hello to someone in your life.

Mister Rogers Said

“There are three ways to ultimate success:   The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” ―Fred Rogers

from Aesop

Although I write here in this place every morning about kindness, the words are not always mine. I often quote others. One of my favorites is this simple line from Aesop: "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

Kind Doctor

An incredible physician recently treated me in the Emergency Department, and when I thanked him, he was so humble and kind. He said to me "Getting to hear a thanks from patients makes all the hard work worth it. It means more than you think." I will always remember the good efforts of this doctor and I will especially remember his kindness.

It isn't very hard at all

Kindness.  We really aren't talking about a difficult task.  In fact, it isn't very hard at all.  The more we are kind to others, the easier it is to do.  It becomes a way of life.

naturally

Kindness is an intrinsic part of living rather than merely an act of gratitude. The best kindness just comes naturally.

The Value of a Moment

Sometimes we never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory that we wish we could experience over and over and over again!

help one another

One of the most beautiful things we can do is to help one another.  Kindness doesn't cost a thing.

Random acts

I have listed various acts of kindness here before. Here are a few more: Volunteer to read to kids in the library. Donate time at a senior center. Give a pair of tickets to a concert or baseball game to a stranger. Send a gift anonymously to a friend. Pay for the person behind you in the movie line. Tell your parents/children why you love them. Give blood. Pay for the meal of the person behind you in the drive-through. Bring flowers to work and share them with coworkers. Can you think of more?

mean can turn to nice

If someone isn't very nice, remember that we can all change.  Never give up. We can all get better and do better, but just because you do nice things occasionally doesn't make you a nice person. Let's never turn away from good but always strive to be more kind. Already a nice person?  Try to become even nicer!

simple message

The message here day after day is really quite simple:  be kind.  Sometimes I just want to shout it from the rooftops.  Someday I hope everyone will realize how important this is1

Goodness and kindness

Goodness and kindness.  Spread this every single place you go.  Life is too short to be doing otherwise.

No day off

It's Sunday, so no school or work, and therefore no need to be kind, right?  WRONG!  We don't take a day off from caring about others?  Being good and kind is an everyday occurrence we should practice every single day!