Kindness matters
every day in every way...
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” ~ Aesop
It is hard to believe that it has been a year since I started my newsletter.
This is a space where I hope to encourage and inspire. The world is filled with many so-called ordinary people doing extraordinary things. So why not promote that?
This newsletter has been a combination of words and images that hopefully inspires my readers to see the beauty in kindness and create the desire to spread it as often as possible.
I also purposely started this writing adventure on my mother’s birthday, February 18th. Why? Well, it was a small, symbolic way to honor someone who was a life-long example of kindness, encouragement and positivity.
I have posted many essays that were inspired by special moments I have had with my mother. I focused my memories specifically in past issues, including A Mother’s Love and Love Made Visible.
She lived a full, purpose-driven life and there are so many things I miss about her every day, including our daily conversations.
When you lose someone of that caliber in your life, sometimes you seek within your own life, ways to honor and emulate those qualities. Creating this newsletter is one of my attempts at that.
Let’s think about those qualities for a moment - kindness, encouragement and positivity.
In a world where you are inundated with anger, grievances, cynicism and negativity, how can you make a difference and change the momentum to go in a more positive direction?
Here’s a few ideas that I learned from my mother...Treat everyone you meet with love, respect and kindness. Do the “little things” like sending cards, making phone calls and extending your love to everyone you meet along the way…friend and stranger alike…
Listen attentively to others when they share their stories and concerns with you and encourage them when they need it. Let people know how much they mean to you. Being seen, heard and accepted are essential for healthy relationships…Connections with others are so important…
The saying goes, “Be the change you wish to see in the world…” This is something that requires purposeful focus, especially when our world seems to encourage the opposite.
So I hope you can help me to “be the change” as I move into the 2nd year of my newsletter because kindness and positivity can make a real difference, one person at a time. And when all is said and done, it is well worth the effort…
What do you think?
My support comes from my subscribers and I really appreciate it. If you enjoy what the Kindness Boomerang newsletter provides, please feel free to share this link on your social media. Subscriptions can be either free or paid. It’s a simple process of sharing your email address. Thanks for your support!
For information about why I started this newsletter, please go to the about section.
Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:
The Starfish Story…
Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”
The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”
adapted from The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977)
What I’m Reading…
This month our book club at the church where I work is reading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. The Amazon summary is as follows, “A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull over the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?
When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"—wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have . . . and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.
In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.”
This is a thought provoking book that really helps you focus on what is important in life. I would definitely recommend reading it.
Children’s Corner
Back in 1999, when I was an elementary school librarian, I started a project where I wrote letters (old fashioned, printed letters) to a variety of famous people. This was prior to the daily use of email and text messages. My questions were simple…
1) From your own life experiences, how has reading affected your life in a positive manner?
2) Was there any particular person or experience in your life that made you aware of the value of literature and the importance of reading?
I am going to share these letters and let you experience the joy many of my students (and myself) have gotten from their touching words - Here is this week’s:
This week’s Smile video…
As part of our new series "Kindness 101," Steve Hartman is sharing stories built around themes of kindness and character and the people who’ve mastered both. His latest lesson is optimism.
#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove
This week’s TED Talk - The Impact of Kindness
Jacqueline believes that the change kindness can make is so great that we shouldn't avoid it, we should embrace it. Kindness costs nothing and it's the best gift you can get!
Kindness Matters Facebook group
My friend Tammy started this Facebook group last year and it is a great place to get daily inspiration. This is her Facebook group description, “With everything that’s been going on in our world today, wouldn’t it be nice to have a kinder place to live in? I would like to start a kindness initiative. Come join us to make this world a kinder, better place to live in. Try to do random acts of kindness throughout your day. Try to help people to feel better about themselves and our world. It doesn’t take a lot of time to do something kind for someone. Please post about your kind acts and the individual’s reaction. The more kindness we can spread, the happier we will become in our world today.”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3154755881406378
Podcast Picks
Goodness Chick empowers you to live life with a full cup rather than an empty one; focusing on mental wellness, self care, healthy relationships, the power of kindness and incorporating volunteerism into our lifestyle.
Comedy Lift…
I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…
Music Moments
Music inspires me in many ways. Here’s a beautiful rendition of “Let There Be Peace on Earth” ...Enjoy!
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….