“There are things,” Trudi’s father told her long before she was old enough for confession, “that the church calls sin, but they are part of being human. And those we need to embrace. The most important thing—” He paused. “—is to be kind.”
— From Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi
I could not agree more. While it sounds so simple, “be kind”, for many it can be the biggest challenge.
I work to keep myself in check with these very words. Sometimes I only have a few minutes with a person and may never see them again so the kindness I give could be the only bright spot in their day. Other times, my relationship with a person requires kindness because our history together demands it in order to survive.
Anyone can be nice to people they like but there is no challenge to our character in those instances. It is when we are kind to those opposite or different to us when our character shows through.
Thanks for the post!
It’s true — being kind is perhaps our biggest challenge and the most important thing between us all, day-to-day.