A to Z Challenge: Kindness

You won’t win any awards in our dog-eat-dog, Me-Me-Me society for being kind. But a little kindness goes a long way in making someone’s day a little brighter.

Several years ago, a coworker and I were talking about marriage. She said, “After awhile, you just forget to be kind to each other.” We do. Especially with our spouse and children or those we are in close contact with. The people we supposedly love the most often get the worst treatment from us. We need to be ourselves with those we love, but it doesn’t mean we have to utter every little thing that comes to our minds. Belittling comments and sarcastic words don’t do anyone any good. That kind of talk is better left unsaid.

It doesn’t have to be difficult or fancy. My husband is really good at thanking me for some of the mundane things I do. When we first got married, I remember he thanked me for cleaning the bathroom. I didn’t know how to react; I wasn’t used to being thanked for doing tasks that had to be done. And all these years later he will still occasionally thank me for making dinner. It’s not like I prepare five course meals; it’s usually something like spaghetti. But that makes it all the more special that he thanks me for it. It’s taking a little extra effort to show each other that we care. Like my neighbor bringing us a loaf of bread she had baked today. Or offering to watch a friend’s children so she can run errands one afternoon. Or stopping by someone's blog and letting them know you liked it. :-)

Life can be tough. There are enough people out there who make it even more difficult. I’d rather not be one of those people. I’d much rather choose kindness and maybe make someone’s day just a little bit better in some small way.

Don’t forget to be kind today.