Kindness - Sharing is Caring
Kindness– What does it look like? Like the old saying goes, Everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten. Daily, I am reminded from my kindergarten age daughter that "sharing is caring". Kindness is encouraged from the academics of our early childhood in the midst of letters, numbers, shapes, and site words. Kindness leads the race during this era of covid!
During this journey with Covid our family has been showered with deep kindness near and far from family, friends, neighbors, church community, and members of Rotary. This gift of love has been demonstrated via the gift of food. When I contracted covid, folks immediately began to bring meals over to our home. The variety of food delivered was always so perfect from stir fries, casseroles, lasagnas, chicken varieties, soups, and treats for the kids. It touched me that these meals came from upcountry, right down the street, and via online through www.lasagnalove.org. The most touching was then I watched from my window a woman (via lasagna love), a stranger, drive up to our house in her car pulling out 2 lasagnas a batch of brownies and handing them to my husband. It brought tears to my eyes that this woman took the time to provide a simple meal to a family she does not even know all through the internet on behalf of my friend on the mainland. It reminded me how we are part of a larger community wanting to help others - to share. Sometimes we have to be reminded of how important that formation from kindergarten is - "sharing is caring". How do we demonstrate kindness in our lives? In our everyday? Who might be needing kindness near you or from a distance?
While I was lying in bed with no appetite living off chicken soup, nuts, and pretzels my family was feasting. I felt a great amount of love knowing they were taken care of by these gifts of kindness. I might not have eaten very much food, but I savored the colorful bouquets and Orchids that adorned my room. For those of you reading this blog that delivered those gifts of kindness - thank you is not enough. These gifts instill what I always believed and feel so deeply about the island life and that is the blessing of community and the spirit of Aloha live on.
In the present day I continue to give gratitude for the meals that find their way to our table. In this journey of 5 months out with long covid these meals bring great joy and relief to our family.
I encourage everyone to celebrate National Kindness Day coming up on Sunday November 13th- https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/world-kindness-day
Be kind. Be aware. Be present. Listen. What do you hear around you? How can we shower more kindness? As the simple Kindergarten phrase goes: Sharing is Caring - really it is that simple. Why do we grow up making it all so complicated.
Who needs your care and kindness today?