While I can’t remember each time it happened, I do remember countless times growing up– whether in school or at home– where the importance of being kind to people was drilled into my head. I remember the “Kids of the Block” program of puppets with disabilities (and I believe the woman who started it always wore a hat…) and how we were taught in elementary school to be kind to each other.
Then last week I read somewhere– almost a lecture– about how people– adults– should be kind to each other.
How sad it that?
I must be spending too much time in my world of color creating things that make me happy and I hope make other people that our world of treating people kindly has come to adults lecturing other adults about the importance of being kind to each other.
There are many times I am cranky– don’t use your turn signal, talking on your phone and not paying attention to people around you, slamming the door in my face at the gym because you’re not looking and don’t see there is someone behind you– but I always try to be kind to people. I reminded the Petco customer service lady on the phone that I realize the fact that Lilly’s new toy balls not being included in my box (or the lack of a lid on the Nature’s Miracle foam– I have no idea how that happened) wasn’t her fault.
The man at Sam’s Club in front of me last week took a long time in his scooter to say goodbye to the woman at the door and I was in a bit of a hurry, but when his box of Swiss Miss packets fell off his pile of items in the front of his scooter, I ran over and picked it up for him, knowing it was easier for me to reach down and get it than him for which he was grateful.
I could continue down my list of seeing the glass as half empty because it would be easy to do. But I don’t. I try to be kind to people. I usually hold a door open for a person who might be just far enough away that it wouldn’t be expected I would do it. And if my cart is full at Target and the person behind me has only a few items, I will offer that they can go ahead of me.
I’m not perfect. If I were I’m sure I wouldn’t be here on this earth. But I always try to remind myself, as I was taught, to treat people as I want to be treated. It’s not hard. And it’s always a bright spot to see a stranger’s face light up. Our interactions with people do affect how we see the world and our own inner happiness. It takes little to be kind to people and has great rewards.
It wasn’t a lecture, it was just a reminder that we reap more from kindness than we do from anger.