teaching

Teaching others to do things can be very kind and helpful! Teaching someone to read, for example, is a gift that will last forever. Perhaps tutoring a student, spending more time with your own kids or grandkids, offering to read at a children's library, or volunteering as a helper at an after-school program. Senior citizens often can use a hand learning things too, especially new technology.  A helping hand and the sharing of our knowledge and experience is always a kind thing.

I still have a dream

"I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal'." -Martin Luther King Jr. (from his I Have a Dream" speech delivered during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963)

Remembering Dolly

When Dolly Parton died yesterday at age 80, the world lost a truly kind person. I will always remember her saying "I think everybody should be treated with respect. I don’t judge people, and I try not to get too caught up in the controversy of things. I hope that everybody gets a chance to be who and what they are."  How lovely it would be if we all followed her example.

peach pie

Today is National Peach Pie Day! Yum! Not long ago, a neighbor gave me a delicious peach. I even wrote about it here. Now my mouth is watering for a peach pie. Perhaps I should bake one. Maybe I could bake a few to share as well!

Happy Friday!

Happiness and kindness go hand in hand!  I hope you have shared a lot of both this week and keep in up right through the weekend.  Happy Friday everybody!

The kindest thing you do this week

What do you think will be the kindest thing you do this week? Oh there are certainly a lot of loving and nice things we can all do for each other, and everyone can add suggestions, but I like the idea of always trying to outdo myself? Let's be kind to everyone! Let's put some smiles of those faces!  Let's all try to be more kind than we ever have been before.

Halfway

It's hard to believe, but we are already halfway through the month of August.  Oh my!  Be kind to yourself and enjoy the remaining summer days.  Be kind to others too.  Do something especially nice.

Always the message

What can I say on this August 14th that I haven't said before? Well, it doesn't have to be a new message, right? Be kind! That's always the message!

The Red Power Ranger

Sometimes celebrities inspire us in ways we might not expect.  I suppose you don't even have to be a celebrity for that to be true.  We ALL can inspire.  The actor who is the red Power Ranger always inspires me.  He seems like such a nice and kind person.  Shouldn't we all want to be thought of that way?

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.

what about today

It's Tuesday morning and as my fingers hit the keyboard, I ask myself what I am going to write here today.  Is there a new message?  Can I say something I have never said before?  This really isn't about new ideas or reinventing the wheel.  The message of this blog has always been very simple:  Be kind.  What more can I say.  Kindness matters.

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.

kindest day of the week

It's Sunday - a day when more people involve themselves in recreation and fun things, than any other day of the week.  Maybe we can also make it the kindest day, huh?  I'm sure that can be arranged!

wise words

Inventor and philosopher Blaise Pascal once said "Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much."  Wise words!

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."

random acts

How about some random acts of kindness this August morning? I think kindness is an everyday thing, but it doesn't hurt to do some special unexpected things from time to time, like surprising the office with homemade cookies, or buying the latte for the stranger behind you at the coffee counter or leaving an extra big tip for your server at lunch.  Any ideas for some random things you might do today?

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day.  Yum!  There are actually some places where you can get free and cheap cookies today.  Double yum!  I have a great idea.  Why not bake or buy a whole bunch of chocolate chip cookies and hand them out to the people you encounter today.  That would be a very kind thing to do!

3rd

What's the third way to be kind or they way to be kind to people on the 3rd?  Oh my!  I have said this so many times and it will always be true.  There are endless ways to show kindness and it isn't specific to the day or the hour.  Let's just always care about others!

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!

August

Hooray for August!  My birthday is this month along with many others.  Be kind to us all.  Celebrate summer too and all the good things that come with it.  Yay August!