Small Acts of Kindness to Surroundings and Self

Yesterday I found something I had ripped out of a magazine and I read it to see why I had kept it.  It was a little essay written by Elizabeth Graves, the editor of Martha Stewart Living, about a hard time in her life.  She was 16 and her Dad had passed away.  Things that had seemed important before suddenly felt frivolous.  She talked about the things that comforted her, and brought joy and laughter into her life again.  Her conclusion was this:  "...small acts of kindness to yourself and your surroundings can have a big impact on your happiness, and it doesn't matter where you're starting from:  The direction is always up."

I guess I hadn't thought of the idea that some of the things we do are "kindness to our surroundings".  I suppose weeding the garden is kindness to the garden plants, and picking up clutter could be considered a kindness to the things we have deliberately used to decorate, because they can be noticed again.  Planting cheerful flowers can be a kindness to those who live around us who now have something cheerful to look at as they go by, and restoring something that is worn can kindly make it useful again.

And what about "acts of kindness to yourself"?  Is it really okay to be kind to ourselves?  Yes!  It is an act of kindness to ourselves when we take the time to eat well.  It is kindness when we rest when we are worn out.  It is kind when we allow ourselves to develop our talents, and when we take time to create things of beauty that we enjoy.  It is kindness to ourselves when we realize that the mistake we just made doesn't make us worthless, and when we allow ourselves to move on, and try again.  It is kindness when we speak to ourselves as sweetly as we would to those we love.  Acts of kindness to ourselves give us a greater ability to give acts of kindness to others.

Acts of kindness to our surroundings and ourselves truly can have a big impact on our happiness, and on the happiness of those around us.
***Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Remembering Kindness

A fun memory from 2009.  It was a white elephant gift for Derek
gave to me :-)

How far back can you remember someone being kind to you?  I was just thinking that I can remember a lot of people being kind throughout the years, and all of these years later I feel grateful for every kindness I remember.  Remembering these things helps me to be thankful for all of the good people I have come across in my life.  It also encourages me to remember to be kind myself.

Here are a few of the things I remember.  I remember getting up to find my Mom in the kitchen making breakfast and greeting me with a good morning.   When we moved to Kentucky, I can remember her sitting by me when I cried because I was homesick and assuring me that things would get better.  I remember the hug goodbye from my 3rd grade teacher before we moved, and the kindness of a girl named Wendy when I was panicking because we had to change classes and I'd never done that before.

In yet another new school my 6th grade teacher would talk to me at recess when I had nobody to play with.  In a new school in 9th grade I was greeted immediately upon entering the school by someone who welcomed me and said she would be my friend -- and she was.  Two friends from church helped me my senior year when I went to a new high school and was feeling completely lost and alone.  They showed up every hour and made sure I knew where to go.

My sisters would let me lay my head in their laps when I was feeling so down I couldn't quit crying, and my older sister sent me a flower at school at least once for Valentine's day.  My brothers and sisters were my friends through all of the ups and downs of growing up, and are still my friends.

I remember someone smiling at me when I was having a hard day in college, and a stranger at BYU walking with me to class and talking to me -- easing the loneliness I was feeling at the time. 

These things don't even scratch the surface, and don't even get me to halfway through my life!  Every good thing someone has done or said has made good times better, helped to get me through hard times, and has helped me become the person that I am.  I'm sure that I could look back and remember things that aren't as happy, but I like to focus on remembering kindness.