I was recently told that someone could tell I was kind. If not for my stories, telling every feeling and situation I've gone through, how would someone know I was kind? I am, by the wayJ but how did I get that way? That way being, good hearted, humane, compassionate, sympathetic, gentle, friendly, and generous. Well, my upbringing played a huge role in me being who I am today. My mom displayed all of these qualities, and more. Her profession of being a nurse tells volumes about her compassion, humanity, and sympathy. She had a husband and four kids that she adored, and took under her wing.
That, of course, meant she had to teach. She mostly taught by example, but she had plenty to say as well. Her goodness flowed from within her heart and soul. She didn't have to work on it, or try to be kind, she simply was. She taught her children what she believed in, and we were taught to be kind to the boy with the glass eye on the bus, even if everyone else was mocking him, and to help him if we could. Or the little girl with pigtails that everyone was pulling at. Not stopping something was understood, we were just little kids, but joining in was not to be tolerated. Maybe that's what kindness is: not tolerating injustices. We lived next door to my grandmother and two aunts, and they were our elders, and we were never to be disrespectful to any of them, that was simply mandatory.
My father was a big man, and he tolerated nothing, yet he was kind in his heart, and made people laugh as he cooked their lunch over a grill everyday. If somebody had too many boxes of lunches to bring back to the office, my dad would either help himself, or get someone to help his customer. These feelings just came naturally to my parents, and as we kids grew, it became natural to us, too. My mom's grandparents were alive until I was twelve, and we had to have the utmost respect for them, and we did. If my great grandmother started to get up from her chair, you moved to her quickly, and helped her up. If my great grandfather wanted his cane, you went and got it for him. Somehow, it got absorbed what we were expected to act like, and that those actions were the grounds for a lifetime of being "kind."
I believe that my upbringing played a large part in my personality of today, but I also believe there are more factors as well. I think kindness comes from within one's soul, and emanates outwards. So many people are too lazy to do the right thing, but those of us who have that feeling deep within, really don't have much choice but to inherently possess kindness. If I'm walking out of a store, I instinctually look back to see if I need to hold the door. Some people go straight through, and never look back, as the door closes on my nose! If I see someone crying on the bench on the way out of Wal-Mart, I'll ask if there's anything I can do. Many would think it stupid to ask a complete stranger anything, but I can't help it.
When I see shorter, or older people in the supermarket, as I walk by, trying to stand on tippy toes to reach something, I stop and get it for them. It's simple kindness. Wouldn't we want someone to help our parents had they been in the same predicament? If you're walking down an aisle, and a baby carriage is coming at you, and the bottle rolls out, do you pick it up, or let the woman handle her own chores? I pick it up. Not always, no one is perfect and no thing is perfect, but more times than not. I try to engage in conversation with the cashier, and then, I'm on my merry way.
I might have picked up a peppermint patty for my partner, and a piece of candy for my son, knowing they'd be surprised and happy. Simple kindness, it just takes the thought to cause the reaction to do it. Some skip over the reaction. And last but not least, there is a positive energy that comes from someone who is kind and loving and caring and compassionate. If another is in tune with that energy, they recognize those characteristics within a very short period of time.
I wish more people were kind. It appears to me there is a negative energy clouding too many people's minds. I don't bother with the negative energies. I don't need to waste any of this precious time we have dealing in negativity. I'll stay on the side of kind, the way my mother raised me and her mother raised her. I like the way it feels to be kind. It's comforting, and invigorating, and usually, something nice happens because of the act of kindness.
It is a compliment to say someone is kind, so I thank the person who said it to me, and I hope more people will give a good deed a try. It's so much more rewarding than negativity. If everyone who reads this article does one good deed, think of how much positive, good, healing energy we'd be putting back into the atmosphere. It doesn't have to be more than putting your wife's pen back where you took it from, instead of leaving it where you used it. Good deed. Good energy. Warming up the frigidness of the world. See how easy it is? Now, go try it. J
  
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