How many times do you think some ugly or disagreeable thought and manage to keep it to yourself? Good job! It’s better to button our lips when we know what we want to say isn’t kind.
But this new year, I’d like us to resolve to open our mouths. Let our words flow. No, not the negative ones, but the ones ... Read More
I’ve noticed something over the past nine years of writing this column. Acts of Christmas kindness seem to have a special ability to stay with us throughout years and even decades.
Two women have shared just those types of kindness with me in the following stories. The first is from Gretchen Robinson from South Hill, VA.
“My kindness story happened ... Read More
Someone somewhere is grieving this holiday season. Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s someone you love.
It can be hard to know how our kindness will be received when we’re dealing with someone who is in incredible pain. After all, hurt people hurt people. If we reach out, we may end up resented, rejected or, worse yet, adding to our friend’s anguish.
But ... Read More
I took a quick trip to Montana this weekend to research a future kindness project.
Before I left, my husband said, “Enjoy the mountains!”
Although I’ve driven through mountains before, I don’t recall staying in a place where I could just sit and see them.
I got off the plane in Missoula and hopped in a rental car. I drove an hour to ... Read More
We never know what each day will bring.
Does that thought elicit fear or excitement or gratitude in you? Maybe it stirs up a combination of feelings.
Just last year, Alysa Tulibaski was enjoying a special evening with family when her husband was called to the aid of people who certainly didn’t see what was coming.
“Dec. 14, 2019, my husband was just ... Read More
Someone out there today needs an important reminder. Maybe it’s you. Here it is:
God is still in the business of miracles.
God is still providing a way.
God is so big and yet concerned about the tiniest details in your life.
I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes because of a miracle He has produced in our lives. Someday I’ll get to ... Read More
There’s a pretty big celebrity living in my neighborhood. I hate to brag, but the president lives just a few doors down from me. If you weren’t aware, you might drive past his house without knowing it.
His name is Dawson, and he is president of the student body at Lincoln Elementary School in Aberdeen, S.D.
Back in October, Dawson ran for ... Read More
I don’t love social media.
If anyone from my kindness team is reading this, they are rolling their eyes right now, because that statement is a massive understatement.
I love having real conversations with real people, but anything over a computer feels a little forced to me. (Can you tell I was born before home computers were a thing?)
I used ... Read More
When I first started writing this “Kindness is Contagious” column nine years ago, I misunderstood what “weekly” meant.
The publisher said, “It’s a weekly column.” I heard, “Write it when you have something to write about.”
I asked readers to send in their stories of kindness, but I quickly learned to become an investigator of kindness in my own life so I ... Read More
Our minds can go in a lot of directions in a short period of time. Would you agree?
Just yesterday I was thinking about Christmas presents, the Packers’ game and tomatoes all at the same time. Has that ever happened to you?
A few weeks ago, I met a magician named Taylor Hughes. I didn’t know it at the ... Read More
