Random Acts of Kindness
Life is a treasury, a garden of all things great and small. Even the smallest acts of kindness can matter greatly.
“How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty (weary) world.”
— Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice, Act V, scene I)
Changing the world — transformative impact through government action, economic growth or technological advancements — is largely the province of a select few who possess the power to do so.
But all the other stuff — the little things that touch smaller worlds — is up to the rest of us. Person to person. One soul lifts another, not for personal gain, notoriety or glory. Just … because. We all have the ability to make our remote recess of the universe just a wee bit better for someone in need, and sometimes, that’s enough.
Kindness is a sequent of our humanity, the fulfillment of selflessness and compassion. Or as Abraham Lincoln put it, displaying the “better angels of our nature.”
We may not be able to move a mountain, but even a small gesture can nudge it a bit. Sharing a drink … giving a warm hug … drying a tear … calling a lonely friend. Providing comfort at a time of hardship and distress. These little things matter.
Along with love, becoming that better angel is perhaps humankind’s most transcendent virtue.
Kindness Costs Nothing
Kindness costs nothing. So why is kindness so undervalued?
In part, it’s because we’re just too busy in our daily lives to notice. Human beings live an insular existence. Even with our work, social and family obligations, the truth is the vast majority of our life is spent alone, occupied by our thoughts or tasks at hand. In this state, it’s hard to place intrinsic value on things we cannot readily see, hear, or feel.
It’s true … most acts of kindness are unseen, or at least unrecognized. Unless captured on video or photographs, or otherwise witnessed, selfless acts are mostly hidden from view. Out of sight, out of mind.
Sometimes the beneficiary never knows the source of his/her blessing. It also is true that kindness may go unrewarded. Have you ever done something for someone only to have them not notice, or say ‘thank you?’ We’re hurt by the lack of gratitude. As a result, we spiral down a negative thought path that leads to a bad place: indifference. “Why bother?”
Does recognition really matter? Should it matter?
If you’re coming from the right place, it shouldn’t.
The Sun Still Shines
“When you do something noble and beautiful and nobody notices, do not be sad. For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet most of the audience still sleeps.”
— John Lennon
When we give service and do “noble and beautiful” things, how others react doesn’t diminish the value of the service. Just because people sleep the day away doesn’t temper the greatness of the sun. It still shines and gives life to all and is not contingent upon our reaction to it.
Remember, expecting gratitude isn’t the reason you reached out in the first place. Most likely its origin came from the heart. Compassion is everybody’s superpower.
It’s A Wonderful Life
Speaking of angels …
In the iconic film It’s a Wonderful Life, banker George Bailey spends his life as the ultimate samaritan, selflessly helping build Bedford Falls into a community that enriches everyone within it. His benevolence is admired by all.
However, an innocent but catastrophic mistake by an elderly colleague coupled with the dishonesty of a corrupt rival causes his life to go sideways. Facing financial ruin and public disgrace, he becomes desperate and distraught. On Christmas Eve, he is perched on a bridge; his only recourse is the icy water below.
Suddenly, a man appears. It is Clarence Odbody, an angel (AS2: Angel Second Class) sent by the heavens to intervene just at the fateful moment. Clarence shows George all of the lives he touched and what life would be like if he didn’t exist. Without him, Bedford Falls is a desolate, unseemly place, devoid of kindness and humanity.
Inspired by Clarence’s conciliation, George chooses life. His friends rally to his aid, he finds daughter Zuzu’s flower petals, Clarence gets his wings, and war hero Harry Bailey toasts his brother George as “the richest man in town.”
What we learn is this: a life without kindness isn’t a very nice life at all.
Life is a Treasury
Most random acts of kindness are just that — random. They are unscripted, spontaneous, and sometimes imperceptible. But they are powerful. Kindness is the universal shoulder to rest on … catching someone before they fall … a foul ball presented to a child … hot soup on a cold day. Young or old, rich or poor, anyone can do it.
And it costs nothing.
Life is a treasury, a garden of all things great and small. Believe it – however modest, kindness matters.
It is a daily reminder of what it means to be alive.
###
Jim Geschke was inducted into the prestigious Marquis Who’s Who Registry in 2021.
