Be kind.
Kindness means to be friendly, generous and considerate.
It's pretty simple to understand.
But somehow, it seems so difficult to live...
for some...
not all....
Let me be clear that being kind doesn't mean that you are never going to disagree with someone,
that you will never take issue with them,
that you will always get along with every person you encounter,
and that you will choose to be friends with everyone you meet.
Kindness is about being humble...
and not being a "Bye Felicia" kind of person...
because none of us is all that...
we are ALL works in progress...
and intentionally proclaiming our superiority over others, is certainly not what kindness is about.
Kindness dictates that we understand the concept of humility before anything else.
Kindness is about being selfless....
and giving up your time to listen and appreciate rather than proclaim and judge.
It doesn't mean we are doormats who never stand up for ourselves or others.
We all should make our points and then discuss those points.
We even can agree to disagree on things...
But then we must move forward...
Without resentment.
Kindness is about embracing differences....
and seeking to actually understand those differences...
not just tolerate them.
Kindness is about being unassuming...
while being willing to learn about different points of view...
so we can grow....
because nobody knows everything.
My 11 year old has autism.
Because of his autism, he doesn't understand the concepts of judging people and gossiping. He is literally incapable of gossip and has never said a negative or nasty word about anyone as a result, ever.
He likes everyone, and loves a special few. He approaches every person with love in his heart and a smile on his face, without fail...
Even when he is not met with the same.
He teaches me about kindness through his example and by watching others with him.
His friends are so sweet with him and the level of kindness these children possess and show is absolutely what we should all try to achieve in our lifetimes.
I've watched them sit with him at lunch, when they could sit with "normal" kids.
I've watched one of his friends comfort him and hold his hand to walk him into class because he was scared.
I see his friends stop to hug him or give him high fives every morning when he gets to school, every single day.
I've seen kids leave groups with "normal" peers to seek him out to play because he was alone. They have skipped competitive league games to come to his birthday parties. They have gone out of their way to invite him to watch their sports teams play so he can cheer them on. They know it's a way he can be involved because he will never be able to play on a competitive team.
And I have witnessed his friends come to his defense when others do not act with kindness toward him. That makes me grateful...
and hopeful.
What if we could all learn to be truly kind like these kids?
We could all learn this from these children and start to model their examples of generosity, friendship, and compassion.
What if we all could be
humble,
selfless,
unassuming,
AND KIND...
rather than the opposites.
Because we are all a little bit like the dismissed and belittled "Felicias" of the world...
we are all a little misunderstood...
and we are certainly all works in progress.
What if we all looked at our OWN reflection in the mirror and drilled deep down inside that person to see where our level of responsibility and ownership lies for all of the things we want to judge and criticize others for?
Just be kind.
It's that simple.
Be Kind!
