Be kind, be kind, be kind

By BECKY NELSON
Bramblings
Newport held its second “Kindness Event” on Tuesday. Fifty or so folks gathered on the common, listened to live music, took a moment to talk with other people, and took a minute to remind themselves of the importance of kindness. Along with kindness, a handful of people spoke and reminded those gathered to accept people for who they are and “pay it forward” by treating others with respect and kindness on a daily basis and as a routine activity. Random acts of kindness, civility and acceptance were the words of the hour.

I had trouble being kind yesterday. It was one of those days in which everything that can go wrong seemed to go wrong. The most disconcerting roadblock was the lack of internet at both the house office and the store. A call for repair ended in jumping through a few electronic hoops that came to no successful end and then the scheduling of a technician to come look at the modem and check the phone lines. Others on the same line are also out of internet, so it seemed pretty clear to me that it was a bigger issue than my single call, but it was no matter. The computer-generated date for service is 10 days out.

I was hard for me not to get irritated with the lady to whom I was speaking. It took every fiber of my being not to let her know how upset I was that I would be internet-less for so long. I calmly reminded her that this was a business and having no internet was a very tough situation. But to no avail. She said she made some notes and was “hoping” for me that “they” would see that and expedite a service call. Hoping? They? Isn’t she one of them? But I bit my tongue. She was in Florida. And we had just had a conversation about how horrible the hurricane hit to Florida had been. I had to remind myself that a few days without internet was a tiny, tiny problem in a whole world full of big problems. A few trips to the library to check and send emails, a workaround to take credit cards at the store … a minor inconvenience. I’m glad I was not unkind. The internet is back today … nine days early.

Which brings me back to kindness. Kindness can be a simple thing. A smile, a kind word, allowing someone to pull out in front of you on a busy roadway, buying coffee for someone, delivering a needed item to a shut-in a phone call to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Or not yelling or showing frustration with a call-center representative at a company that is driving you crazy.

Kindness can also take bigger form. With the devastation in Florida, recovery efforts still underway in the Carolinas, flooding in Texas, wildfire devastation in western states, and tsunamis, droughts and other horrific weather damage all across the world, acts of kindness and spare dollars donated to relief agencies are needed. Listening when someone is hurting or angry, a hug for someone in pain or sorrow, holding a hand in a hospital waiting room, leaving a good tip, taking a cup of coffee to someone who hasn’t got a dollar … all kindness. Rescuing an animal caught in wire, adopting a pet from a sub-par home, all kindness. Conserving, protecting, empowering, caring … all kindness.

My great-grandmother told my mom that the “only things you get to keep in life are the things you give away …,” meaning kindness. A little compassion goes a long way. A little heartfelt moment can mean the difference between a fight and a treaty. A little smile can be the difference in an argument. 

The willingness to compromise, agree to disagree or to make a deal that favors none but that all can accept can mean the difference between chaos and peace. Kindness. We need to adopt a lot into our own lives before we can expect it from others. The “Golden Rule” of doing unto others that which we would like to be treated ourselves needs to be posted over every doorway and tattooed on every heart. Be thoughtful. Be compassionate. Be open. Be flexible. Be kind. And enjoy this little poem I wrote:

 

Be Kind

When the doorbell rings, and dinner burns,

The car breaks down, and the waiter’s rude,

Be kind.

When the kids scream loudly, and the neighbor’s call,

The mortgage is overdue, and bill collectors nag,

Be kind.

When kicked by the horse, and knocked to the ground,

Or pushed by the bully, and stained by a crime,

Be kind.

When you’re late for work, and your boss is mad,

The tire goes flat, and the tools are lost,

Be kind.

When things go wrong, and all seems lost,

Relationships crumble, and hope seems gone,

Be kind.

Through fires and floods, illness and hate,

When your rope seems frayed and about to break,

Be kind.

Hold out your hand, offer a prayer,

Listen and look, offer hope, not despair. 

And be kind, be kind, be kind.