I've been going through about a month of really intense stress due to a local conflict. The conflict was just resolved yesterday and this morning I woke up ready to cheerfully do homeschooling and wasn't even really that fazed by one of my kids having a fever (whereas when we were sick last weekend I was a ball of anxiety and hopelessness). And then, I baked! A complicated recipe! With my 3-year-old "helping" and I didn't even get frustrated or snap at her!
Lesson here -- address your own stress and you will grow in your ability to be kind. Of course, being kind while stressed (potty training!) is also very important, but remember that taking care of yourself may have better results than trying to use your willpower alone to act with virtue!
Thank you Sara. I love how you not only talk about what kindness is but also how to do it in our daily lives.
The whole essay was excellent but I especially loved being kind to ourselves and in prayer. This is a great reminder because kindness in prayer is not thought of as a thing! (Haha, there’s some bad grammar!) But it isn’t and it should be. I love the nudge you gave us to be more tender when we go to God.
Thank you, daily practice in my life. My kids go to public school and seems like my 6yo daughter is explosive after pickup. I cry quietly but in front of them. Some days are so very hard. I think a solution may be to just bring snacks for pick up. I’m going to try this tomorrow. We only live like 1.5 miles from school
I use the words "nice" and "kind" interchangeably, because I consider both to be a extensions of Christian charity and reflections of God's love. That being said, I do think that the words can have different connotations, as you highlighted in your article.
As for the kindest thing someone has done for me this week, I've been thinking about this ever since I read the article a couple hours ago, and it's made me so grateful for the incredibly kind people God has placed in my life. I need to do this more often; it puts so much into perspective by focusing on all that one has rather than what one has not (which I tend to do as a pessimist). Anyways, after that little ramble, I would say that one of the kindest things someone has done for me this week is send me a book for free. It cost the person money to buy the book in the first place, and the fact that they're sending it to me for free is incredibly generous and kind.
I've also been thinking about something kind that I can do for someone next week. Even though it's not physically helping a person in the same way as, say, making them dinner, I think that praying for a person is an act of kindness in its own right. I am thus going to make a deliberate effort to not forget to pray for someone who needs many prayers next week. I tend to forget until I'm almost finished my Rosary (or later that night), but I'm going to do my best to remember beforehand this time!
I've been going through about a month of really intense stress due to a local conflict. The conflict was just resolved yesterday and this morning I woke up ready to cheerfully do homeschooling and wasn't even really that fazed by one of my kids having a fever (whereas when we were sick last weekend I was a ball of anxiety and hopelessness). And then, I baked! A complicated recipe! With my 3-year-old "helping" and I didn't even get frustrated or snap at her!
Lesson here -- address your own stress and you will grow in your ability to be kind. Of course, being kind while stressed (potty training!) is also very important, but remember that taking care of yourself may have better results than trying to use your willpower alone to act with virtue!
Amen, amen, amen! White-knuckling virtue is so ineffective in the long term!
Thank you Sara. I love how you not only talk about what kindness is but also how to do it in our daily lives.
The whole essay was excellent but I especially loved being kind to ourselves and in prayer. This is a great reminder because kindness in prayer is not thought of as a thing! (Haha, there’s some bad grammar!) But it isn’t and it should be. I love the nudge you gave us to be more tender when we go to God.
So glad to hear that it resonated with you! Every single item on this list is something I need to remember myself!
Thank you, daily practice in my life. My kids go to public school and seems like my 6yo daughter is explosive after pickup. I cry quietly but in front of them. Some days are so very hard. I think a solution may be to just bring snacks for pick up. I’m going to try this tomorrow. We only live like 1.5 miles from school
Snacks are a necessity for us, all the time. You’ll be in my prayers tomorrow, Michelle. You’re doing hard and holy work in these long days.
Just love love love this essay. Thank you Sara.
So glad to hear this, Dee!
I use the words "nice" and "kind" interchangeably, because I consider both to be a extensions of Christian charity and reflections of God's love. That being said, I do think that the words can have different connotations, as you highlighted in your article.
As for the kindest thing someone has done for me this week, I've been thinking about this ever since I read the article a couple hours ago, and it's made me so grateful for the incredibly kind people God has placed in my life. I need to do this more often; it puts so much into perspective by focusing on all that one has rather than what one has not (which I tend to do as a pessimist). Anyways, after that little ramble, I would say that one of the kindest things someone has done for me this week is send me a book for free. It cost the person money to buy the book in the first place, and the fact that they're sending it to me for free is incredibly generous and kind.
I've also been thinking about something kind that I can do for someone next week. Even though it's not physically helping a person in the same way as, say, making them dinner, I think that praying for a person is an act of kindness in its own right. I am thus going to make a deliberate effort to not forget to pray for someone who needs many prayers next week. I tend to forget until I'm almost finished my Rosary (or later that night), but I'm going to do my best to remember beforehand this time!
We love free books 😍 and the good souls who distribute them. I think intercessory prayer is a great kindness and a very tangible goal to set!