thoughts on kindness

" I always prefer to believe the best of everybody - it saves so much trouble." Rudyard Kipling

In the book Laying Down the Rails, I found the section on kindness very good. Kindness is something that everyone can give, no matter how small, yet it is something that is so often overlooked and taken for granted in our culture. I think it is beautiful that the innocence and naivete of children lends itself naturally to kindness. That doesn't mean kindness comes naturally to anyone. It still needs to be taught and is a choice that we all must make every day. The questions to ask about kindness are as follows:
  • Am I encouraging my child to think the best of other people?
  • Is my child learning not to assume that others will laugh at him for his kindness?
  • Is my child progressing in defending and protecting other people's good character in their absence?
  • Am I helping my child to respond kindly to siblings or others with tiresome tempers?
  • Is my child inspired by the idea of making others happy by showing kindeness?
  • Is my child receiving selfish messages from any outside influrences? If so, how can I counteract those selfish messages with messages of kindness?

"And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)

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