Always Practice Kindness
It’s good for the soul.
With the holidays upon us, I’d like to focus on spreading kindness out into the universe. This is not a foreign concept to me, or most folks for that matter, but it is something that I practice regularly and that I feel is important to share with others.
Being patient and kind is something that has and always will be near and dear to my heart. In a previous story (linked below) I talked about witnessing a customer mistreat an employee at the mall, and how if we all just exercised a bit more patience and kindness, then the world would be a more forgiving place. This incident made me reflect on how the mistreatment of others has such a damaging effect on our society— so much that it’s become easier to come across news that is negative than it is to read about something positive and uplifting.
My personality encompasses being kind to others — I never have to think about or be reminded of it, it just comes naturally. I stand by the idea that it’s ok to smile at strangers, say “please” and “thank you”, hold the door for someone, or even take a second to make small-talk. It’s amazing how something so simple can brighten up a day.
I live in a neighborhood where the majority of the families are either elderly or retired. It’s a blessing because my husband and I enjoy calm and quiet living conditions so moving to this area was a no brainer for us. Some elderly folks in the surrounding houses are not very talkative, some live alone, some are complainers, and others are very private and not at all social. Either way, I know the importance of being kind to those around me. Not everyone will seem happy all the time or social, and that doesn't make them bad people. Everyone lives differently and we must respect that. Just because people are different, that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be treated with kindness and respect.
One of my elderly neighbors stands out to me most. He and his wife live across the street from me and they are adorable. I guesstimate that they are in their late 80’s. They live alone, but several of their children visit and they seem to be good, wholesome people. My neighbor and his wife live the retired life — they take walks hand-in-hand around the neighborhood, they often hop in their SUV and go places (yes they still drive) and they seem to be best friends. My husband and I often say that they are couple goals for us when we are their age one day, and that we will always be together and smiling just as they are.
I don’t know much about this elderly couple that we have taken as our role models, but anytime my husband or I have interacted with them it’s always been pleasant. My elderly neighbor has often said hello in passing, or walked across the way to see my puppy, and even offered a lending hand to my husband while he was doing yard work one day, it was so thoughtful.
One day I noticed that there was some commotion on my street. I peeked out the window and there was my neighbor, being taken away in an ambulance. My mind started wandering but all I could do was say a prayer and hope for the best. It’s been over a month now and I haven’t seen my neighbors at all anymore, and to be honest it has made my heart sad. The thing that keeps standing out in my mind is the last interaction I had with them, at least I can take comfort knowing that it was a positive one — really they always were.
I use this situation as a reminder to continue treating others the way I would want to be treated. I can’t imagine how I’d be feeling now if things had been different during our last interaction. It’s safe to say that in life certain things are just out of our hands, but there is however one thing that we can control and that’s how we treat others. Being kind and exercising patience comes at no cost to us. Quite frankly it is a necessary part of life. Let this serve as a gentle reminder to us all that tomorrow is never promised so please, always be kind to one another.
If you liked this story, I’d love for you to check out some of my others!
