be kind
happy world kindness day!
of course I try to practice kindness each and every day, but today was extra special. I’m home for the weekend, and I surprised two people very near and dear to my heart with some flowers. catching up with them warmed my heart, and reminded me that even in today’s trouble and turmoil, there is still good people in our world. in light of the holiday, I wanted to share a piece of writing that I drafted recently, titled “revelation in ignorance.” check it out below…
“Here you are, enjoy!” The food truck employee handed the girl a breakfast platter, laden with fresh scrambled eggs, cubed potatoes, and crispy bacon. To that the girl responded with no “thank you”, no “have a nice day”, just a quick snatch of the plate and a trot off the event lawn. People that enter a classroom without saying “good morning” to their professor exude the same energy. Ugh. That is one of my biggest pet peeves – societal silence, if you will. So, what does that say about me? Perhaps that I’m an anomaly for thinking that way, that I’m a young girl who was raised with that good ol’ southern charm, or that I underwent training like that girl Charity in The Greatest Showman? To me, my pet peeve says none of those things. I believe that my opinion boils down to my expression of one of the most basic tenets of our humanity – kindness. In middle school, I developed a close relationship with one of the cafeteria workers. At my middle school, you had to wait outside prior to lunch, since the area you got your food in was relatively small. Students would move in a herd, practically storming into the cafeteria, and then you would be served in typical school lunch assembly line. She was an older Spanish woman named Clara. Now, how does a middle schooler develop a relationship with a cafeteria worker through daily 1-minute-long periods of time in a lunch line? By being kind. In a sea of ignorant middle schoolers trudging through a line, snatching plates and making snide remarks, my simple gesture of “Hola, como estas,” made a world of difference. So much of a difference that on holidays or special occasions, she’d bring me a treat or a card saying thank you. Kids would ask me, “Is she your grandma? Why are you being so nice to her?” It warmed my heart with Clara, yet saddened my soul with my peers that what I was doing, just being kind, was so miraculous. Clara’s smile and reciprocal gestures have stuck with me throughout the years, serving as a reminder to myself and now you, to be kind. Be the smiling face that someone needs to see – you’ll make their day, and hopefully I won’t associate you with my biggest pet peeve.
while this is a short piece, I feel like it’s the perfect reminder to us all - be kind. let’s make our world a better place, one act at a time! <3
