This next season of celebrations, regardless of your community or culture, asks us to consider others and bring something to share at the family gathering, seasonal party, Thanksgiving feast, or intimate lunch with friends. There is a gift that can touch a life and alter the atmosphere as we attend gatherings, share food, shop for others and sing cheerful songs. This gift costs you nothing but time and a willingness to look past the shallow front that so many presents. This gift is a commitment to kindness. 

kind·ness: /ˈkīn(d)nəs/ – noun

1. The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

These last couple of years have brought some difficult conversations into our families, workplaces, and friends. 

 Conversations about politics, pandemics, the financial state of our nation, the cost of gas, and so many more divisive topics. Though these conversations have their place, for many, these subjects and the opinions they carry have overtaken daily thought, dominating the space where kindness, gratefulness, and compassion once rested. 

The challenge I bring to you as the reader today- bring kindness with you into this holiday season. Allow a new generosity and consideration to form, affecting your thought, words, and action. Here are a few ideas that may inspire you along.

1. Before entering a conversation, take a moment to think of one thing you are grateful for about the person you are meeting with. Begin the conversation by letting them know how you are thankful for them.

2. Before going to a family member’s house, write them a handwritten letter of encouragement. We all need people to stand with us, and many people today feel isolated because of tough conversations and highly expressed opinions.

3. When you are at a gathering or having coffee with that friend, let them talk, and you listen. Even if their ideals are disagreeable, take a moment and try to look through their eyes at the subject presented. 

4. Allow people to say things wrong without being offended. Most people do not know how to communicate, so when they speak, it comes out wrong. Kindness is generous and considerate. Bring that generosity into your relationships and consider forgiveness as the leading component.

5. Be willing and ready to sacrifice for another. Let someone else have the best seat, the last portion of mashed potatoes, or the final word in a conversation. Kindness does not make you weak but reserves the power you possess for a time when it is needed most.

Please bring with you wherever you go the most precious of gifts. You would be surprised how powerful a kind word and sacrificial act can be, bringing life to your family, friends, and those who surround you daily. 

“I have never met a person whose greatest need was anything other than real, unconditional love. You can find it in a simple act of kindness toward someone who needs help. There is no mistaking love, it is the common fiber of life, the flame that heats our soul energizes our spirit, and supplies passion to our lives.” Elisabeth Kübler-Ross