As the saying goes, “Be kind. You never know what someone is going through.”
A young colleague shocks me with the confession she has had a stroke and now carries the load of many doctors’ appointments as she tries to figure out why. A close friend I just texted last week, I am surprised to learn, spent several days in the hospital. The smiling cashier secretly worries that her son hasn’t come home.
I feel the heaviness of carrying these burdens with people in my life. Once I know, I can’t unknow, but I’m not always sure what to do with what I know.
A friend walks through a busy season at her job, and I struggle to know what tangible help I can offer. Someone I respect admits that he isn’t doing well under the load he carries. I pray for him, but sometimes prayer feels inadequate in practical terms. Even I am walking through a season where the load feels heavy, and I don’t know what I need from others.
So, I suppose this is where the practice of being kind goes a long way.
Perhaps I can’t fix any of the situations the people face. The truth is, life is hard sometimes. But it is also true that in the most challenging seasons, I need kindness the most. When everything else around me feels harsh, the last thing I need is for the people I encounter to be harsh as well.
Certainly, kindness comes in practical ways. I remember when my mom would come in during the day and do my laundry. It meant the world to me when a friend brought me a meal, giving me one less thing to worry about. Flowers always brighten my world, and a handmade card with a poem can seem to say just the right thing.
I also think kindness matters when it comes in the form of a smile, a hug, a knowing nod, or a reassuring comment in passing.
To the one facing knee surgery, I remind her it’s okay to accept help because she would help others if the roles were reversed. To the one who feels like she is dropping too many balls, I suggest that she be gentle with herself and remember she is doing her best.
And I think of the little girl I randomly met for only a few minutes. She looked up at me and said, “You look really beautiful today.”
The warmth that flooded over me stopped me in my tracks. It was kindness, unexpected yet so genuine, and it left an impression that rippled through my heart for days.
So, I say, “Be kind. You never know the difference you can make.”