Kindness is something our world is desperate for. With growing fears and anxieties, everyone could use just a kind word or gesture. As Christians, God calls us to be the light in the world – to love and be kind to all, even our enemies!
All parents want to raise happy, healthy children. This can become even more challenging when fostering a child. Many foster children come from abusive or neglectful environments. Foster parents strive to build confidence, self-esteem, and compassion in the children they care for so they can begin to heal and grow up to live productive, fulfilling lives. Parental modeling, whether foster or otherwise, is the most powerful way to foster kindness in children. Situations happen on a daily basis that present golden opportunities to practice compassion.
A great way to show kindness is through participating in Random Acts of Kindness Day, an unofficial holiday celebrated each year on February 17. The purpose of this special day is to urge people to be kind to each other, especially those they don’t know, without any specific reason. The philosophy behind Random Acts of Kindness Day is altruism, which is selfless concern for the welfare of others.
A random act of kindness is an unexpected act of charity or helpfulness and is often done for a stranger. The term refers to selfless acts, both large and small, that are committed unexpectedly, without prompting and with no apparent ulterior motive.
There are a number of ways you can show kindness to someone unexpectedly. Here are a few simple suggestions:
- Bring hot cocoa to a neighbor
- Leave a treat for the mail carrier in your mailbox
- Make happy notes on the sidewalk with chalk
- Take baked goods to a teacher
- Invite another family over for dinner
- Take a Thank You card to the local librarians
- Pick up trash around the neighborhood or at a park
- Take cans of food to the local Food Bank
- Donate gently used/new clothes to a local organization
- Let someone go ahead of you in line at the store
Random acts of kindness are essential to our wellbeing, as they liberate us from self-obsession, selfishness, and isolation; they are the effect of an open and loving nature. True generosity is giving without expectation, with no need to be repaid in any form.
We want to challenge you to participate in Random Acts of Kindness Week, February 13th -19th. On social media, we will be posting ways that you can get involved each day that week!
Written by Sarah Vinet
