kinda’

You could say I’m kinda’ one of a kind woman with a kindness about me.

I have a picture framed in my home with the words “Kindness Changes Everything” and I truly believe it does. When we are gracious, kindhearted, showing goodness and are sympathetic toward others, we are demonstrating to the world that we care. This interpersonal skill - showing care and sympathy or empathy for others - is instinctual according to researchers (Di Salvo - Scientific America, 2017) They discovered that research shows kindness is the most important predictor of stability in a relationship.

Even though KIND snacks, a food company from New York City (2004) is a popular choice of food, KINDness is a choice we make when we want to show a specific kind of behavior. Even though kind also means a group of people with similar characteristics, wouldn’t it be amazing if we all showed kindness through our actions everytime we encountered another human?

My girlfriend sent me a little story today told by Katharine Hepburn that clearly demonstrates what kindness can do. Apparently, when she was a teenager, her and her father were standing in line for circus tickets. There was a family ahead of them that impressed her. There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12 and even though their clothing was neat and clean, she could tell they didn’t have much money. The children were well behaved, excitedly talking about the clowns, animals, and acts they would be seeing. It would be the highlight of their lives. The husband and wife were smiling at each other, obviously happy and in love.

When the ticket lady asked how many tickets, the father proudly stated, “eight children and two adults.” Then she stated the price. The man’s lip quivered and he asked her, “how much did you say?” She repeated the price. It was obvious the man didn’t have enough money, but how was he supposed to turn and tell his children that they couldn’t go to the circus. Katharine’s dad saw what was going on. He reached into his pocket, pulled a $20 bill out and dropped in on the ground. They were not wealthy by any means either, but her dad picked up the bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me, sir, but this fell out of your pocket.”

The husband understood. He looked right at Katharine’s dad, took his hand, squeezed the $20 and said, “Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to my family.” Katharine and her dad went back to their car and drove home as there was no money for them to attend the circus. She recalls that even though they didn’t get to the circus that night, what her and her father felt was a joy inside from a kindness displayed that the circus could never produce. The value of giving, caring and kindness blesses others.

There are different ways to practice kindness. It creates a sense of community; a willingness to share. Even being kind to one’s self is important. It is an attribute mentioned several times in the bible from Jesus’ miracles to God’s blessings and kindness to us here on earth. We are to practice it daily.

After all, isn’t that what the golden rule is all about?

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32