K Is For Kindness

When my brother died years ago, my husband and I packed our two children into the car and started from the center of Kansas go to Biloxi, Mississippi to attend his funeral.

We got as far as Jackson, Mississippi when our car broke down. Having had it towed to a service station, we waited to hear how much it would cost to repair the car and, even more important, how long it would take.

Then, with regret, we called my sister-in-law and told her that we wouldn't be able to make it to the funeral.

The owner of the service station overheard our conversation and told us, “I guess I could loan you my van.”

We were so astounded by the offer that it took us a moment to accept his kind offer. We followed him around the the back of the station fully expecting to find some old beater of a van that he used for his business. Instead we found a very nice conversion van.

With nothing more than our immobilized automobile for surety, he handed us the keys and we were on our way.

A few days later, after the funeral, we returned his van, paid a very reasonable repair bill, loaded ourselves back into our car and headed home.

In the midst of our grief, anxiety, weariness and disappointment, a man performed a random act of kindness for complete strangers. Whenever I think of the word “kindness”, I think of that man. I've forgotten his name by now, but I will never forget his kindness.

Nor will my children. A few months after our trip to Biloxi, I overheard my son tell his friends at his eighth birthday party, “I know there is a God because a man loaned us his van.”

I believe that my children, now adults, grew up to be better people because a man loaned us his van.

Of course, that was twenty-some years ago and times have changed. Now it seems that there is a dearth of kindness among family and friends, let alone strangers.

We're all in a hurry and we have no compunctions about being rude if it will help us get where we want to go a little faster. We seem to feel that we just don't have time to be kind.

Our situation comedies are rife with insults and unkindness so that it requires a laugh-track to remind us that it is supposed to be funny. Our comedians are often cynical, critical, and bombastic.

Even our government officials seem to have forgotten what used to the called “common” decency. It is as though they are swaggering teen-agers who either never learned how to be kind to one another or think that they are much to cool
to bother.

Well, complaining about the current lack of civility is certainly not a kindness, is it? So instead of just complaining, I'll offer thisinformation for your consideration:

Scientific studies reveal a strong link between gratitude and random acts of kindness and overall good health, including stress reduction, inner peace and happiness. 

Lauren E. Miller, a breast cancer survivor and author of "Release the Stress around Breast Cancer... with Methods and Mantras for the Mastectomies of Life" points out some of the physiological benefits of kindness:

Increased immune system
Improved Cognitive Performance
Increase in energy
Lower heart rate
Lower blood pressure
Diminished pain
Balanced cortisol levels which result in less internal stress
More likely to live a longer and more satisfied life
Laughter and inner joy resulting in decreased stress hormones

There are two "problems" with performing random acts of kindness. It can become addictive and it is highly contagious.

If you are out of practice or just need a few suggestions to get you started, check out http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/