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.

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!

self-kindness

To truly practice self-love, you have to learn self-kindness, and being kind to yourself means getting serious and committed to your dreams.

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.

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,