This I Believe

This I Believe

I believe that Kindness is love in action. I believe that teaching your children to be kind can change their and ultimately the whole world. I believe that looking at your world through kind eyes, changes that world for the better.

As my children would leave the house for school or work or play, I would always give them a hug and a smile and a bit of advice – be sweet and nice and kind. As we said a thankful prayer at mealtime, I always ended the prayer – and make us kind and good. Over the years my children would chime in as they would leave, I know mom-be sweet and nice and kind. Mouthing the words, automatic pilot, like the memorization of a poem that might have to be recited for a good grade. At mealtime, when it was their turn to “say the blessing” their prayer would end – and make us kind and good, looking up at me with a grin, looking for my smile of approval that they got it right. They got it right.

How can you teach kindness? By showing the way. By reminding your children to be kind. By making being kind as important as self discipline, self motivation, self esteem and all the other things we want our children to learn and to have.

One of the greatest compliments I ever received was from my son when he was in middle school. You know those awful years when children are becoming teens. Those years of embarrassment and wanting to be accepted. You remember those years.

There was a dance after school. My son was one of those “popular” kids. Also, our house was one where we were always dancing so he had no trouble being out on the dance floor, enjoying the dance. When he returned home, I asked him if he had enjoyed himself, he said, Yes, it was great, as he ran through the house. He stopped, turned around, and came back into the kitchen, By the way mom, I thought about you today. I was dancing and having fun with my friends and looked over and saw this girl sitting alone on the sidelines watching. I looked at her – no one had asked her to dance. I thought that you would think I should go include her so I did – I asked her to dance. She was so happy. He walked on to his room, a smile on his face.

My son was happy – he had been kind. He got it right.

I believe that it is worth the time and effort to teach your children to look at the world through the eyes of kindness. It can indeed change the world, one person at a time. Just as importantly, it will change them and their life for the better forever.