Day 4: Acts of Kindness
This topic of "kindness" has come up quite a lot lately with my friend. She's seeing a new man friend, and she often says he's "kind." This word sparked up a conversation on the difference between being "nice" and being "kind." I believe kindness to be an innate quality in certain people, and I believe niceness to be more of an obligatory learned trait. For example, someone is nice when they open the door for a women to let her in the daycare facility. Someone is being kind when they offer to watch her kids so she and her husband can have a date night. See the difference?
I adore random acts of kindness. I, myself, like to partake in random acts of kindness. I like to mail random "I appreciate you" letters to people, make surprise cookie drops, leave notes on door steps and car windows, etc. I often receive criticism regarding these acts because "they send mixed messages", "lead people on", and "are you a lesbian?" It saddens me every time I receive these comments because it makes me aware of how out of touch we've become on simply being "kind" and how obsessed we've become with sexuality.
Everything we do or say these days seems to be perceived as "loaded." It drives me nuts. If you're kind to someone, it must mean you want to have sex with them or need some sort of big favor. If do or support a kind act, then you must be a liberal hippie. If you express your love and gratitude towards a same-sex friendship, then you're gay. Can't we just be kind?! It's so disheartening.
I'll keep being kind, and I guess I'll keep giving my disclaimer of not being gay, a desperate whore, or slimy sleazeball with each act of kindness I offer. Nothing makes me happier than receiving other's acts of kindness, and I hope to provide the same warm and fuzzies to those who receive mine.
I challenge YOU to do an unasked for random act of kindness, and tell me about it in a comment. You'll feel amazing; "I guarantee it!"
Warm fuzzies,
CC
2 comments:
I feel the same way you do. I find it odd that people find it odd when you do kind things. People are often times surprised, but in a "I can't believe you would actually do that" way. Taking the time to let someone know you care, even if it is a stranger, is such an awesome thing to do. We all love to know that someone cares about us, but I guess we just forget to pass that feeling along.
I LOVE this post (okay all the posts). We've been using the words "be kind" with AJ instead of saying "be nice." I think that kindness takes extra thought and effort...kindness is more about the other person than it is about yourself. Maybe kindness will be wrapped up in one of my resolutions for 2013...thanks for the inspiration!
Post a Comment