Believe in Kindness

Today one of my students left this note on the desk for whoever might happen to sit there next.

I loved seeing her heart.

I loved seeing that the message I've tried to send to my kids that they matter, they are valued, and they make a difference has set in and made my classroom a safe place for them to share their light.

But what I loved the most was that she left the note not knowing who would receive it.

I think so much of the time, especially these days, we are hesitant to give our love and care to those we don't know. We don't know their stories, their beliefs, or if we can trust them. But here's the thing: you don't have to trust someone in order to show them a small gesture of care or love. You can put that good will out into the world with no strings attached- just a little sprinkle of kindness you are sending out into the world.

We can share kindness without having to know if someone is on the same page as us politically and religiously. We can hold back our cynicism and give a stranger the benefit of the doubt, that they are striving just as hard as we are in a tough world. We can share hope and encouragement that applies to their story, no matter what it is, without knowing their story.

So here's an invitation: in our polarizing world, let go of trying to figure out what side someone is on and just see them as a human. A human who needs love, hope, and kindness no matter where they are at.

Believe in kindness. Believe that sharing care with a stranger can shake the world. What the light in you has to say matters.

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