We Are The World

"There comes a time when we heed a certain call

  When the world must come together as one."   -opening line of We Are The World, written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, and recorded on this date in 1985 by an all-star cast.  It is still true that the world must come together!

remembering

Remembering the six million victims of the Jewish Holocaust and millions of victims of Nazism on this annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this solemn occasion, the UN urges every member state to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides. Remembering is important, but so is making sure this never happens again.

Let's do it!

Our world can always do with a little bit more kindness. Perhaps that kindness should begin with me and you.  Let's do it!

starting fresh

We are starting fresh today with a brand new year.  How wonderful.  Enjoy the holiday and be kind to yourself and all you encounter along the way.  Let's make 2022 a very kind year!

24th

Today is the twenty-fourth day of this month.  Is that significant? Of course it is! Every single day of our lives is significant. Today is the day when we share love and kindness. Yesterday was that day too, and tomorrow will be as well. The joys of the January 24th are the joys of every single day of our lives!  

on the chalkboard

Did you ever have a teacher who told you to write something over and over on the chalkboard as a learning tool (or as a punishment)?  Go write this 100 times on the chalkboard: I AM A KIND PERSON. Wait! Better yet, let's all just BE a kind person!

endless ideas

I've said before that the list of kind acts is an endless one, and it's true.  Think about it.  What random act can you do today, to make someone's day?  Share some of your ideas here.  Together we can make this a kinder world!

100 years old

A few years ago, a woman I knew was turning 100. That doesn't happen every day, but it still is special. What though do you give someone who is 100 years old? I reached out on social media and asked people to send birthday cards. The response wasn't as big as I had hoped, but it was still quite wonderful. Virtually everyone was a stranger to this lady, and yet they took the time to brighten her day with a card. I'm only sorry that the senders didn't get to see her smile!

following her example

Yesterday Betty White would have turned 100, and instead of the celebration that had been planned before she passed away last month, I saw a lot of people sharing their fond memories of her, and following her example, there were so many donating to animal related charities.  Kindness was so much a part of who Betty was, and it was heartwarming to see so many share that same kindness and love.

Martin Luther King Jr said

I've quoted people here before, but on this Martin Luther King, Je Day, I want to share some quotes from Dr King that might not be as familiar to you.  + “We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” + “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.” + “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” + “No person has the right to rain on your dreams.” + “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” + “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” + “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy to a friend.”

halfway

Can you believe we are already halfway through January?  Oh my!  Time flies, huh?  I suppose when you are so busy doing kind things, you really lose track of things like time.

take it easy on yourself

Every year about this time I think of all the folks who made resolutions to begin the year.  How are they doing?  Did the first two weeks of the year make them just want to give up?  Kindness isn't just about others, we need to also include ourselves.  If we fail at something, we shouldn't neat ourselves up.  I happen to think that resolutions come with too much pressure anyway.  Take it easy on yourself.  None of us is perfect.

how many

How many things can you say about kindness?  Well at least 1,898 based on the number of posts here so far, but I'm sure there are many more!  I think I should keep on going.  This just might make me a kinder person.  

Some special ideas

Kindness?  Here are some special ideas - Let a car into the traffic ahead of you.  Buy flowers for someone (postal worker, grocery store clerk, bus driver, etc.). Bring coffee to a co-worker. Help someone change a flat tire. Post anonymous sticky notes with validating or uplifting messages around for people to find. Compliment a colleague on their work. Send an encouraging text to someone. Buy extra at the grocery store and donate it to a food pantry, 

hot tea

How cold is it right now where you live? Bundle up and share warm wishes with others. A very kind gesture might be to give folks hot beverages - cider is particularly popular at this time of year.  I'm love some hot tea.

12th Night

Christmas ends tonight.  Yes, it's true.  I know some think it began WAY back in October or even September, and it ended on December 25th, but no, that's not how it goes.  Some year I would love to see some old traditions return, like keeping the Twelve Days of Christmas.  Anyway, tonight is Twelfth Night.  Be kind!  Merry Christmas!

Celebrate

How many days until the next holiday?  There are a lot of folks who really look forward to holiday celebrations, especially the gift-giving ones.  I say celebrate every day.  Really.  Make every day special.  Make those around you happy.

being remembered

So many celebrity deaths lately, but I couldn't help noticing the words used to describe several of them: "warm," "nice" and "kind." None of us lives forever of course, but how wonderful to be remembered as nice and kind. Of course, we are kind and warm and nice just to be remembered for this, but what a great fringe benefit.

Betty White's words

Remembering Betty White with her own words: “It's your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don't take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver.”

follow Betty White's example

By now you know that the wonderful Betty White died yesterday at the age of 99. I have to mention her here because Betty could easily have been the poster-person for kindness. She was well known for her love of animals, but it really went beyond that. Betty loved live and Betty loved people.  In her honor and memory, let's be extra kind this year.  Let's follow Betty White's example.