I bet you’ve heard the quote, “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other’s gold.”
I can’t really divide my friends into silver or gold status. I’d say they’re all platinum.
Our family has been ridiculously, crazily, super-spoiled with our new friends in Athens. They love us well and make us laugh. Hopefully we do the ... Read More
I’m just the lady who writes about kindness. That’s it. I’m not a social worker, educator or social activist. Yet, I’m often called to help in situations in which I feel totally helpless.
I was in school the other day when I spotted a kindergartner walking through the breakfast line. She saw me and her eyes lit up. After a big ... Read More
Quite a few months ago, I got a little black box in the mail. On the front, in simple letters, it said, “How kind of you.” I hadn’t done anything particularly nice that I could remember, so I couldn’t imagine who would be sending it to me.
Now, perhaps you should know, I am a sucker for things that come in ... Read More
Imagine waking up Monday morning, ready for the work commute, but instead of sliding into your car, you slid into a pair of sneakers? You would walk out your front door and be greeted by everyone else in the neighborhood because no one was driving. You were all walking the five to 10 miles to work.
Can you imagine the conversations ... Read More
I ordered chicken tenders at the pool last summer for my kids. We are clearly not foodies (or we wouldn’t have ordered chicken tenders in the first place), but this meal was inedible. The poor little freezer-burned then overcooked nuggets barely resembled food.
My kids were disappointed, but happy to eat french fries for lunch, so I let it go. I ... Read More
I’m about to share one of my not-so-great parenting moments. I’m pretty sure I’m at fault, but I refuse to ask the experts because I’m afraid of the verbal lashing I’ll get. Luckily, the kindness and common sense of a stranger kept my kids from any real danger.
Last January, I decided to be a brave mom and I took my ... Read More
In a little town that doesn’t get much press is a woman who quietly goes about the task of teaching kids.
Pamela Wiese is a truancy officer and paraprofessional at a school in Henning, Minn., a town of about 800 people. I have no doubt that she shows great compassion and empathy in the hours that fill most of her days. ... Read More
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I’ve been thinking about. I don’t know if this is the case for you, but my mind can follow a squirrel or bright shiny object into the next dimension in no time flat.
A friend recently told me she struggles with cooking because of attention deficit disorder. As soon as she steps away ... Read More
What’s the furthest you would go for kindness? Do you even know? Maybe you’ll give your time, but not your money. Maybe you’ll give your money, but not your time. Maybe you’ll give your time and money as long as you don’t have to sacrifice your personal comfort.
It’s humbling to realize our limitations, both the tangible ones and the ones ... Read More
Moments of crisis require a decision: Will we hold our tongue and act with grace toward those around us, or will we allow our angst to overtake our mouth and spew out the fear that certainly feels like a natural reaction in times of trouble?
If you were in the emergency room with your child, would you be the one filled ... Read More
