Heres the weekly blog, inspired by a neighbors visit! Random or Organized? Henny, our friend and neighbor, stopped in this afternoon after attending a funeral. Never at a loss for conversation, soon we were talking about seniors and their desire to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. Home for Henny is a three-bedroom brick bungalow where she and Eddie raised two sons and which, since Eddie’s passing, Henny’s managed substantially on her own. Henny mentioned that the City had axed the special snow removal help seniors received to dig out blocked driveways and paths after the ploughs had cleared the roads. Upset at this loss, Henny called the Mayor’s Office to register her dissatisfaction. She asked if there had been a change of heart at City Hall – were seniors not an important part of the civic agenda? Henny was politically astute in her timing since municipal elections were imminent, so they took her name and number and promised to get back to her. They actually did – and she was delighted! There exists in St. Catharines a volunteer group called Act of Kindness and the City contacted them on her behalf. This Friday Henny’s leaves are getting raked and bagged: this winter they will find volunteers to shovel her driveway, steps and path! In my winter community in Florida we have a similar organization called Helping Hands. Money for supplies comes from a portion of proceeds raised at events run by the Social Club. Like Act of Kindness, it’s a case of neighbors looking after neighbors. Kindness is very much on the radar these days given the “pay it forward” and “random act of kindness” themes in our society. However, when I looked for a synonym, I couldn’t find one word that conveyed the many traits and behaviors that would fit under the broad umbrella we call kindness. For instance, the thesaurus I consulted gave 20 synonyms, among which were: affection, benevolence, hospitality, forbearance, consideration, altruism, tolerance and graciousness. It would seem to me that kindness rules as king of the castle when it comes to virtues. In all circumstances, when one is kind, is anything else required? Kindness is an automatic response of a heart fueled by unconditional love. It is a heart that measures neither the worthiness of the recipient, nor the potential for reciprocity or appreciation. Kindness sees a need and leaps to fill it. Kindness can be a legacy for those you love. A friend of my Mum’s knew that her death was approaching. She was an intelligent and spiritual woman who followed the Baha’i’ faith (bahai.org). Verna wasn’t wealthy, but she wanted to leave something of value for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Verna wrote a letter that was read at her funeral. In it, she singled out her descendants by name and extolled the special gifts of character she loved and valued in each one of them. Everyone listening received a portion of her generous legacy as she embraced her family with words of kindness that will be engraved on hearts forever. Kindness, whether spread through organized groups or individuals, need not be random in the sense of unplanned or unusual. We can make it conscious and intentional, the focus of our waking agenda each day. By doing so, we can transform a “random act” into a habitual state of being. Copyright Dorry Rice 2014 All Rights Reserved.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 22:13:15 +0000
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