“Would you push me,” a first-grade boy said to my husband, Ed.
“I won’t push you, but I’ll teach you how to swing,” Ed said.
“But I can’t swing by myself.”
“You can. I’ll show you.”
The last few weeks we’ve looked at love, joy, peace, and patience. Now, let’s take a close look at KINDNESS …
Responding to the boy’s request would have been an act of kindness. But Ed went a step further. Ed showed the boy what he needed to do in order to move back and forth without someone pushing.
Then, someone called Ed away to another area of the playground. When he returned a few moments later, the boy was moving forward and backward on his own, wearing a grin from ear to ear.
“I can do it. I can swing by myself.”
“Does this story make you smile like it does me?”
The word KINDNESS alone makes me feel good. Add some action to it and I feel like dancing in the street.
Truly, teaching someone to do something for themselves is more worthwhile than doing it for them … if they are capable of doing it themselves. Not only did Ed teach the boy a new skill, he increased the boy’s self-confidence, and created a tremendous amount of excitement. The boy was shouting to everyone within earshot, “I can swing.”
I can just picture him going home and sharing the good news with his momma.
Acts of kindness, random or otherwise, come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes an act of kindness elicits a smile and at other times tears.
Hurricane Harvey poured buckets of water for four consecutive days, preventing residents from getting on or off the island of Clear Lake Shores located between Houston and Galveston. My friend, Marta, was stranded. The water rose to unimaginable levels, flooding homes and businesses in the neighborhood.
The first day, Marta rescued two dogs. Along with her own dog and cat, she rode out the storm with eyes fixed on the relentless rain filling every square inch. Nothing stopped the water from crossing thresholds and rising incessantly into homes, businesses, and garages.
Car doors were no barrier to the rising water. Interiors were soaked and the electrical systems, engines, and other mechanical parts were jeopardized.
Every parcel of land was covered in feet, not inches, of water. Not just water, though. Anything not tied down or permanently fixed became floaters with no determined destination. Chemicals and other contaminants … you name it … merged with rainwater to create a murky mess. Dog owners were hard pressed to find a small patch of dry land for their furry friends to do their business.
Although Marta’s home fared better than some, she still sustained damage from wind and water. After the rain stopped, I asked her about the amount of damage in her house and she said, “I don’t even know.” She had been so busy helping her neighbors that she hadn’t assessed the damage in her own home. Many of her neighbors lost everything. Cars. Home. Furnishings. Personal, irreplaceable mementos.
Since the storm, Marta has been collecting funds to help her neighbors. One neighbor cries each time Marta presents her with additional funds to help meet her needs. I’ve known Marta a long time and her motto has always been to put others before self. Her kindness reaches into the hearts and hands of people in great need of assistance.
KINDNESS. It’s not just a feel-good word. It’s an action.
When was the last time you were the recipient of someone’s kindness? How did it make you feel?
When was the last time you showed kindness by teaching someone to do something they thought they couldn’t do? Or by providing someone with something they needed like food, clothing, or funds?
Will you join me in a challenge? For the next thirty days, be aware of acts of kindness happening around you. But don’t stop there. Make an effort to offer kindness to someone else.
Hold on to your fruit … and share some with others–love, joy, peace, and a little KINDNESS. Then, share your story with me.
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