Kindness is an energy that is passed along like a treasured heirloom from one person to the next. We are able to offer kindness because we have been offered kindnesses from others. Yet, there are times that we are not able to find the energy for kindness within ourselves, because we feel that we have been denied basic kindness for so long. We go looking for kindness in our hearts, yet we feel there is none there to give.
Every kindness you have ever been offered is like a gift you store in your heart
Every kindness you have ever been offered is like a gift you store in your heart.Today, imagine that it is your special day: it’s Kindness Day. You are sitting on the floor surrounded by packages of kindnesses of all sizes: Small kindnesses like smiles from strangers, directions that were offered when you were lost, groceries that were dropped and retrieved in a store’s parking lot; medium kindnesses like casseroles that were delivered when you were sick, the neighbor who watched your kids when you had to run to a meeting; the sibling who let you use their toy when yours was broken; large, magnanimous kindnesses like the love of a grandparent, the family that offered you shelter when your income was lost, the community that donated everything you needed when all your possessions were lost in a fire of flood. And then there are the kindnesses offered by ancestors: wisdom and folkways that strengthen the heart. There are kindnesses offered by nature: beautiful sunsets, gentle breezes, and delicate spring flowers.
One by one you open these gifts, and as you unwrap them and open the flaps of each box, the light of that kindness pours out and touches your heart, simultaneously strengthening it and softening it. Filling it to brimming with happiness and generosity.
Kindnesses that are offered are never lost. We just sometimes lose touch with them. When we open the gifts of kindness on Kindness Day, we will be able to stand with gratitude in the midst of these gifts, walk out into the world and offer the gift of kindness to everyone on our path.
Happy Kindness Day to you!
