In difficult times, there are many charitable ways to give that are noble. Often what comes to mind are acts like donating clothes, food, money or your valuable time in service. During Covid times, some of these more common noble ways to give are a little more difficult, but certainly still viable.
However, the act of charitable giving I wish to remind others about in today’s acrimonious times is the charitable act of Kindness. It’s a simple gift but often the best form of charity and can cause dramatic effects on the world.
In our society, there appears to be a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. Add to that a widening gap between political parties. A widening gap between deeply held religious beliefs. A widening gap between what we think are the best solutions to the world’s overarching problems of hunger, climate, poverty, crime, war, etc.
Yet there is a gap healer that is available to all - and that is Kindness. Many of us have personally been affected by Covid or know someone who has. As we’ve seen, this pandemic is not a respecter of individual boundaries. It affects all of us, from the most affluent to the most vulnerable. It has affected the economy and the livelihood of the entire world. It has affected our mental health due to isolation, fear and lack of social opportunities that were normal and available to us this time last year. Many people feel wounded and sad, whether by the pandemic or other tragic events in our world. Regardless of whether these wounds are self inflicted, created by the wrong decisions of others, or just merely an act of nature, the wounds are real to the one who is suffering them.
And often kindness is the best medicine to heal these wounds.
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal!” —Stever Maraboli; Life, Truth and Being Free
Regardless of where you stand - economically, politically, religiously, philosophically, or even physically - each of us has the ability to be kind to one another. In our world where we often feel that the incoming tidal wave may be crushing, may each of us strive to be kinder to EVERYONE! You never know the effect of your kind actions.
"Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end”. -Scott Adams
I sincerely hope you receive kindness and you show kindness this holiday season and in the coming year. Let’s all do our part to help the ripple of goodness reach out further and further by showing kindness to those around us.