"I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." -Stephan Grellet
Overwhelmed by the destruction and anguish that the people of Japan are enduring, many have offered their services and relief supplies, and rightly so. We feel helpless so we send some money. Don't get me wrong,this is important and wonderful. I just think sometimes it's easier to show kindness to a large cause or strangers far away. There are small kindnesses that we can all do everyday. Kindness is just a little thing but can make a big difference.
My mother took me into a public restroom once when I was fairly young. When we washed our hands she grabbed extra paper towels and wiped the counter, shined up the faucets and even the mirror. Then she picked up the paper towels that hadn't made it into the trash can. I asked her why she was cleaning up, it wasn't our bathroom. She said,"I just like to leave things nicer than I found them" Just a small act but it taught me volumes about how we should be thinking about our schools, our homes and especially our world.
My Dad was the ultimate scout leader and we often made fun of the fact that he had more pictures of his scouts than of his own children. On the many hikes we took, I will never forget how important it was to stay on the trail, pack out our garbage and not pick the wildflowers. The latter was hard, I loved flowers and still do.(A vase of fresh flowers on my table brings me immense joy.) But, it taught me an important lesson about taking care of the world and leaving beauty for others to enjoy.
These small little kindnesses taught me so much about being an adult. They were anonymous acts, there were no awards or accolades, no free stuff to win. In kindergarten we learned(or were suppose to)how to take turns, share and work together.
I think we forget how vital these simple kindnesses are.
