The bad thing about striving to live a life of kindness is that you realize when you fail. And you fail every day. Or maybe I should say, I fail every day.
The minute I keep the conversation trivial to avoid entering someone’s pain, the minute I cut the conversation short with an impatient answer, the minute I lower my eyes ... Read More
I remember having two birthday parties as a kid. My family lived on a little farmette with horses, and my dad had a friend who was a clown (doesn’t everyone’s dad have a friend who is a clown?), so when I turned 6 years old, every kid in town came to my house to celebrate. There were yard games and ... Read More
One day, a professor presented his pupils with a pop quiz. As the students filed into the classroom, they saw a piece of paper on each desk, face down.
When everyone was seated, the professor told them to turn over the papers. To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions, just a black dot in the center of the sheet. The professor, ... 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
