“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
— Aesop
Tomorrow is World Kindness Day. It’s so simple, yet so very complex. What exactly does kindness mean? Does it mean I have to give gifts? Do I not raise my voice when frustrated with my kids today? Do I have to go out of my way to be really nice to strangers or are small acts okay?
The more I think about this, the more I think kindness is extremely personal; every person has their very own kindness scale and acts accordingly. I encourage each and everyone, if only for today, to move your kindness scale up a couple of notches, whatever that may mean to you.
I do know that today, I will be doing something special for those health and wellness champions that often go without praise in our schools. We typically show our appreciation to the classroom teacher throughout the year, but what about the PE teacher, the cafeteria manager, the school nurse? These positions are just as vital to a healthy school and healthy students, but all too often, they do not receive the appreciation and gratitude they deserve.
So, on World Kindness Day, I am sending anonymous notes in to my son’s school for the PE teacher, the cafeteria manager, and the school nurse (after all, it’s not about me feeling good about what I’m doing, it’s about the receiver feeling better about their day). If I get to feeling really spunky, I might even write one for those other teachers, including art, music and computers (I’m sure there are others I’m forgetting), to let them know just how much they’re appreciated for all they do. As the quote above says, it might be small but it’s not wasted. If it makes just one person’s day a little better, I’ve done my part for World Kindness Day.
Today we feature OWG guest blogger and childhood obesity consultant, Melodie Griffin. Melodie’s passion lies in the prevention of childhood obesity through the school and early learning settings. All programs Melodie promotes are fully approved by her home based lab rats, five year old son, Howie, and two year old daughter, Hope. You can connect with Melodie on her Facebook page, WellConnect LLC.
