Hello to all of you beautiful souls. Today I want to talk about something that’s been heavy on my heart lately. It has nothing to do with cosmetics or skincare, but something far more important. I want to talk about kindness. With all of the things going on in the world, I think that what we all need more than anything else, is compassion for one another.
Many of you know that I am an elementary school teacher. I have years of classroom experience and have personally worked with hundreds of children. Through out my experience as an educator, I have witnessed some of the most touching acts of kindness. So many of the children I encounter on a day to day basis have such selfless hearts that are full of love and empathy. The assumption is that those children will grow up to be selfless and kind adults. Sometimes, not all of them do. So what is it that happens that makes the warmest of hearts grow cold?
I think it’s easy to say that life can get you down. Certain negative experiences can make you bitter, cynical, or pessimistic. Sometimes you come across those rare people who have experienced loss, trauma, or cruelty but yet somehow they are still smiling. The point is, we never know what others are dealing with. We all have mountains to climb and our own burdens to bear. That’s just how life works and we can’t expect it to be problem free.
Sometimes life deals a crappy set of cards. My husband Chase, who happens to be the strongest and most humble person I know, has experienced tremendous loss. He lost both of his parents as well as his adopted mother before the age of 18. He was left with nothing. He made the conscious decision to let it make him better and not bitter. I know that his loss still hurts him to this day, and probably always will, but he has handled it with such grace. He has always been my rock, never failing to keep things in perspective. He has told me many times that someone could take the same cards you’ve been dealt and win with them. After really giving his words some thought I realized the truth in that statement. When life gives you lemons, always make lemonade. See the beauty and the good in the world, even in the smallest of things. Admire the colorful sunrise on your way to work, notice the love between the elderly couple walking down the street, see the joy in a playing child’s eyes. Don’t take a single second of this life for granted, even on the darkest of days. If you look closely, there will always be a ray of light.
Have you ever had a really bad day that has been turned around by a small act of kindness? I remember the first time I had ever experienced the ‘Pay it Forward’ movement in a McDonalds drive-thru. I thought I had heard the cashier wrong when she told me that my meal had been payed for by the person in front of me. I was so touched and excited that I, too, payed for the person behind me. Who knows how many people that one simple and random act of kindness reached that day. Who knows how many bad days were turned around. What I do know is it brought a lot of smiles to grumpy faces and it filled countless minds with the wonderful thought that maybe the world isn’t that bad.
So with all of that being said, can we just be nice to each other? Can we say good morning, please, and thank you? Can we hold the door open for the person behind us? Can we give honest compliments? A little kindness and humility goes a long way. Imagine how the world could change if every person did just one thing every day to help another. I hope that no matter how many scars your heart bears, you’ll always have the strength to shine your light unto others.















