I got a beach ball in the mail the other day. A fully inflated beach ball. I didn’t even know you could do that!
I can only imagine what my mail carrier and every other post office employee must have been thinking as they sorted letters, packages and my beach ball.
I walked into the house delighted with my present, thinking yet ... Read More
There is a woman in my town who does a lot of good. I mean A LOT. She and her husband have been blessed with a successful local business, and they are constantly pouring into the community. The thing is, they do it so quietly, unless you’re really paying attention and perhaps digging a little, you’d never know the identities ... Read More
One way to be kind is with your wallet, donating to charities and people in need. But giving can get confusing in a hurry if you’re not aware of the economics of altruism. Dr. Julie Paxton is equipping students to give responsibly through her course, “Economics of Altruism” at Ohio University. In Episode 31 of The Kindness Podcast, Dr. Julie ... Read More
I have a few friends who spent time living in Europe while their husbands were stationed in the military. They recently informed me in Europe it’s customary to give gifts and pay for dinner when it’s your birthday.
As in, “It’s my birthday, so today I will pay!”
I think my friends are saying this because they’re hoping to get a ... Read More
I packed a bag lunch for my second grader this morning. Actually, he packed it for himself, but I stood guard making sure there was something other than sugar in his noontime meal. The last thing that kid needs right now is sugar. Ben is pumped so full of end-of-the-year adrenaline that I say a little prayer for his teacher ... Read More
Is it enough as a parent to live your life with kindness and hope your kids catch on? Or is kindness something that needs to be intentional?
What sort of resources do kids even have the ability to give?
It turns out quite a few!
Susan Crites Price is an expert on family philanthropy. She has a great book called Generous Genes: Raising ... Read More
Early in our marriage, my husband and I spent a lot of time together in the car. We’d go to the grocery store or out for dinner, Saul driving and me second guessing his every move from the passenger’s seat.
He always wanted to drive, which drove me nuts, because he likes to meander and I just want to get ... Read More
It was three years ago this May that I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I went in for a routine checkup on my 40th birthday and left with a calendar full of followup appointments in hopes of pinning down an exact diagnosis.
That day sent our entire family and our circle of friends into a whirlwind of pain, but also ... Read More
When we moved into our house four years ago, we hired a company to install an underground invisible fence in our yard. We wanted to keep our beloved GoldenDoodle, Dakota, safe from cars on the road and we wanted to keep our neighbors’ yards safe from Doodle doody.
We put a special collar on Dakota and walked her slowly and gently ... Read More
I have yet to meet someone who says, “Nope. I’m not a kind person and I have no intention of changing.”
We might agree that we have a little work to be done in the kindness area, but generally people seem to think they are doing a pretty good job of treating others well.
In a study of 100 young people with ... Read More
