Kindness is such a simple concept, and yet it is so difficult to fully describe. At its strongest, it has the power to penetrate the strongest armor of fear and soothe the vulnerable pain of abandonment and abuse.  Even a random act can be powerful.  It is a catalyst for a chain reaction that simply spreads goodwill with no thought for personal gain.  It is an act of love.

But kindness does not always need to be about big things.  In fact, the little things matter a lot, especially when it is a person to person contact.  Just bending over to pick up something that a person has dropped is such an act.  Smiling and looks of concern can elicit small, but significant feelings of comfort.

One can never know what another person’s life is like.  We each carry our own set of unseen burdens like a backpack.  The backpack balances their weight, making them easier to bear.  But bear them we must.  And when a new day brings a torrent of grief or worry, we can lose our footing and fall.  On a day like this, a kind word or gesture can have tremendous power.  These actions are part of a universal language.

It has always bothered me when I have heard adults say, “Children can be so mean.”  Why not focus on their capacity for kindness?  I have seen the kIndness that children can have for one another.  They have a natural ability for this behavior.  But it is not recognized enough.  Instead, we focus on inappropriate behavior that needs to be addressed.  And in doing so, we miss a wonderful opportunity to build upon the positive.

When I watch my 7 year-old granddaughter interact with my little dog, I observe her gentleness which is born of kindness. And it is as natural as it is beautiful.  The care with which she pets her and talks to her is touching.

I think that if we think of the positive outcomes, we can easily find more ways of being kind.  And it all matters.  We are dependent on each other to survive our broken world.  Think ”kindness” and it becomes a part of you.  Teach our children to think this way and talk about how “children can be so kind.”  It’s just an idea.  But it’s worth our time and energy in order to make this world a better place to live.