Presence

Another celebrity took their own life yesterday.  We hear about the famous people, but not the stranger across town who commits suicide.  It happens every day and it is sad no matter who it is.  The answers are complicated, but one thing I have seen in the past 24 hours is people saying "I am here if you need me.  Please reach out."  The presence of people who care - people who will listen, can make a huge difference.  As I said, the answers can be complicated but a good place to start is the kind and caring folks who reach out.  I'm so grateful there are people like this in the world!

be kind

You might have been expecting some fancy quote or an incredibly moving message, but what I write about here every day is really quite simple.  If I encourage you or help you along the way, so much better.  My goal though is just to spread kindness everywhere and hopefully to make me a kinder person too.  So dear friends, be kind.

From Mother Teresa

I love these words from Mother Teresa: "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

simple

Be kind. (It's really quite simple. The message doesn't have to be complex. We don't have to spend hours thinking about it. Why would anyone not want to be a good kind person? It just doesn't make sense. And so, this very simple message). Be kind.

best advice

Writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley said, "It’s a little embarrassing that after forty-five years of research and study, the best advice I can give people is to be a little kinder to one another."

For all the saints

Have you ever heard someone say, "she is really a saint"?  The meaning is a bit different of course from the saints we think of in church.  One thing is the same though.  We are talking about something good and positive.  Today is All Saints Day and I'd like to think that part of being a saint is being kind.  It's something very easy that all of us can do.

Happy Halloween!

 Pass the candy, enjoy the treats, watch out for the tricks, and be kind!