"Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless." -mother teresa
Kindness. It's such a simple act, but yet it can be hard to do. I have seen and heard a lot of stories about kindness and how our country needs more of it these days. The election is drawing near and as the days flip by the attacks on the campaign get more vicious. Is this what we have become? I don't think that our Founding Fathers were best buds, but I think they respected each others ideas and views. I imagine that they spent their time sharing their ideas on how to make our country great, instead of focusing on issues that don't relate to the American people and how to serve our country. I shudder to think what George and Thomas would say in today's world. In a country that is supposed to be one of the best in the world, it's embarrassing to see a lack of kindness coming from our top political leaders.
"Do not underestimate a moment of your KINDNESS. It has the power to change lives in ways you may never know."
Kindness. How hard is it really to be kind? Isn't that the golden rule...treat others as you would want to be treated. Who wouldn't want to be treated with kindness? So much of what we say is how we say it, or the attitude that comes with it. For adults, our kids are watching us. Even when you think that they are not, they are. Actions often speak louder than words. Think about your day for a minute. Replay the events of the day and imagine if some of those conversations, phone calls, meetings, etc. were met with more kindness and compassion. It's easy to get fired up or say something in the heat of the moment, but can you imagine how much better the day would go if there was more kindness in the conversation?
"Have courage and be kind." -cinderella movie
Kindness. Every day before I drop my kids off at daycare or preschool, I tell them, "Remember girls, what are we going to do today?" And they respond with, "Be kind and have courage!" That's right! You may have heard this phrase before. It comes from the Cinderella movie. Not the animated one, but the one that came out about a year ago with real people or, 'humans' as my girls would say. I am 36 years old and I still love fairy tales. Yes, I like to live in a magical place sometimes, because it is filled with kindness and good and hope. It's the idea that despite the odds, you can still have your dreams come true and good always overcomes evil. In the Cinderella movie, Cinderella has a heart of gold, some may think that she is too sweet. She works so hard to do right by her step mother and step sisters but they keep tearing her down and treating her like she doesn't matter. She never waivers from what her mother told her all those years to have courage and be kind. It's so easy to go the other way, but in the end, Cinderella finds the courage to stand up to her step mother and despite all the bad that has happened in her life, she has the courage to forgive. She displays kindness. That is what is so magical about Cinderella...that although it is fantasy, I believe it is truly possible to live with such courage and kindness.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
-plato
Kindness. Becoming a mom has been the greatest blessing, but the biggest challenge I have ever faced. And when I became a mom, I became a better person. I became a better teacher. I started looking through the mom lens at students thinking, "What if this were my son or daughter?" The conversations that I started having with students and their family's were met with more kindness. My heart would ache for some of the things that I saw kids struggle with or challenges that family's went through. Often times you never know what is going on with a student or what is going on at home. All a student wants sometimes is someone to show they care, maybe give them a little hug or a smile. To be met with kindness.
"Kindness begins with me."
Kindness. We are all doing the best that we can...everyday. Life is hard. Raising kids is hard. Finding balance is hard. Listening to the all the negativity in the media is hard. Not every day can be sunshine and roses, but we can choose to be kind and act with kindness and in turn we can make an impact on others and maybe, just maybe, make the day a little bit brighter!