at the songbird cafe
extra pennies left
for those who might need them
along with a tiny paper crane
for those who might need this even more.
—
“a master of origami said he tried to express with paper the joy of life,
and the last thought before a man dies.”
-tor udall, a thousand paper birds
she was in the checkout line just in front of me
something about her looked tired
like her shoes
world weary
her cart filled with simple things
beans, bread, eggs, milk, cans, pasta
and what looked to be a special treat
one small bright orange
maybe for someone little waiting at home
when it was her turn
she paid
with what was left on her food card
then tried a credit card
and still
didn’t have quite enough
she looked back at me
with apologetic eyes
sorry for the trouble
she fumbled in her purse
looked to see
what she could put back
not sure what to do
I heard the clerk tell her
that she needed
one dollar and seventy cents more
my heart went out to her
not knowing her life
I said that I had that money
I was happy to give it to the clerk
she looked at me with shy eyes
nodded thank you
carried her bags out
and I thought about
how that one small orange
would make such a difference
for someone special
maybe
my small act
had made a difference
in her life too
made it
a bit easier
just for a moment
and at that moment
I knew
there was absolutely
no finer way in the world
for me to have spent
just one dollar and seventy cents.
—
‘remember that the biggest thing you could do today is a small act of kindness.’
-cory booker
as we watched
the big kids perform
‘a christmas carol’
the kinder
kept whispering
and asking
‘why is that man so mean?’
‘why is he so crabby?’
‘how can he be that mean?’
I told them that later in the play
mr. scrooge’s heart will grow
and he will learn to be nice
just like what happened to the grinch
it made my own heart grow
to think about
their innocence
their naturally kind and compassionate state of being
how they could not even begin to imagine
why someone would choose to be mean.
—
‘i think being nice is more important than being clever.’
-ricky gervais
this quote is found in children’s literature
but is a great reminder for all ages.
kinder carefully bathe their babies
each with their own method
including a squeegee
all were clean and happy.
—
“it is the nature of babies to be in bliss.”
-deepak chopra
my grandson, Jackson (in the green shirt and shorts)
who loves
people, animals, kindness, dancing, laughing, and tacos
has become a part of a new kid congress
a group springing from the legacy of
‘kid president’
(who has now grown into a young man)
with a mission to show
that kids can help to change the world for the better
thank you to kid president for passing the torch
giving more kids the opportunity to bring good to the world
i couldn’t be prouder of these little people with gigantic hearts.
—
(if you have two minutes, use the link below to meet the new congress)
—
“children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”
John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
—
credits: kidpresident.com, soul pancake
it was a quiet, simple act
a couple walking in my direction
stopped
the man bent down
to tie his companion’s shoe
and in this tiny moment
revealed his heart.
—
“let me tie your shoes. i don’t want you tripping and falling for someone else.”
-author unknown
in our after-school art club
the children painted kindness stones
and hid them in the garden
for other children to find
knowing it would make them smile
when they discovered these secret stones
hoping they would do the same for others
passing on their surprise and joy
upon finding a bit of kindness
left just to make them happy
and then hiding them again
for others to discover.
—
“a little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.”
-john ruskin
on my neighborhood nextdoor site – written by a kind neighbor:
“we found a raccoon in our driveway that looks sad and is not moving.
is there anything we can do about it?”
—
“let us fill our hearts with our own compassion –
towards ourselves and towards all living beings.”
-thich nhat hanh
I didn't have my glasses on.... 