Twelve Blog Posts of Andrea (#2 & #3)

(TWO)

Artists say, “Let me draw something that might help our understanding, help us change or wake up, be inspired to awe or kindness."

Anne Lamott, Almost Everything

Writers Say

Let me write something that might help us walk in each others’ shoes,

be inspired to love and 

to be better for one another

to be less afraid and more curious about 

our one, fine, glorious life.  

Let me write something which might help us wake up, 

help us see what we could not have seen otherwise. 

Let me write something which will add light 

and life 

and laughter.  

Let me write something to unburden our souls.

Let me write something that shows us another way to walk each other home.

-A Writer's Prayer

(THREE)

Passing by a space recently, I saw several signs with sentiments about being kind- choose kindness; if you can be anything, be kind; kindness matters; kind people are my kind of people. Being described as kind, in my humble opinion, is one of the highest honors one could pay to another person. Reading those artsy, to-the-point signs made me think:

1. Are these declarations, directions or decorations? Is this person kind?

2. Who gets to decide who and what is kind?  

3. What if one’s idea of “kindness” is very different from those around them? What if you describe yourself as kind, but others do not? (Not because you do not have other great qualities but simply because kindness is not the one they immediately think of to describe you.)  

4. Do we think of kindness as big deliberate acts mostly? Acts like donating to charities, giving food to a person without a home, taking in a stray animal, serving at a food pantry.  

5. Do we miss opportunities to be kind on our way to do some big act of kindness? I witness this daily in myself and others. We do not acknowledge the person walking by six feet away from us. Yet ,we share about our whole day with the barista at our favorite coffee shop. We step over rather than pick up trash. Yet we donate large bags of used clothing to charity. We don’t listen completely when a coworker or child speaks. Yet we answer our friend’s call and talk for hours. We turn the other way when we spot someone we recognize at the grocery store. Yet we visit our grandparents every weekend. We hurry our children. Yet we wait patiently for our friends who said they would be dropping by. We ignore our partners. Yet we respond immediately to our boss’ requests to work a little extra. We assume ill-intent  and rattle off discontent when we receive correspondence from corporate entities. Yet we assure the cashier who overcharged us and gave the incorrect change that we get it, they’ve had a long, hard day.

6. How does this person show kindness in their daily life? Could these displays be reminders of a quality this person wants to grow in? I put reminders all around me when I am working on specific aspects of my character or working to improve in some area of my life. Maybe the occupant of this workspace is doing something similar.

Those signs got me thinking, reflecting and asking, “Am I the kind of person who others would describe as kind?”. Maybe that’s why the signs are posted- for us passersby.

-Andrea