When my kids were in elementary school I began sitting for a neighbor’s (friends) son on a regular basis. He became an extension of our family and his parents are two of my dearest friends.  I took him with me wherever we went; visiting my grandmother, sporting events, even to the grocery store.

One day my neighbor called me to share a story.  One evening, after picking up her son, they stopped at the grocery store to grab a few things.  You know how it goes, those few things soon turned into a cart full.  As they were waiting in line a young woman came up behind them with only one item.  Her son looked at the woman and said, “You can go ahead of us, we have a lot and you only have one thing.  We’ll probably be here a while.”  Shocked, my friend looked down at her son, telling him how nice that was.  She asked where on Earth he learned to be so nice.  He said, “Oh, it’s nothing, Mom, Teri does it all the time”.

You can imagine the tears of joy that were running down my face.  Kids pay attention.  They are the future.  For me, that future is now.  We make a difference whether we are nice or not.  Doesn’t it make more sense to show up with loving kindness than anger and frustration?

A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love. Saint Basil

Gather love. Turn your kindness switch on.  Here are 14 ways to get started:

1. Say thank you for everything
2. Tell someone they’re doing a great job
3. Pay someone’s overdue book bill at the library
4. Leave encouraging post it notes wherever you happen to be sitting/waiting
5. Plan a special day with your child
6. Submit positive feedback to a business you like
7. Donate blood
8. Adopt an animal
9. Write a thank you card to the postal carrier
10. Give food to a homeless person
11. Take your pet to a nursing or children’s home
12. Buy a star for someone
13. Make cookies for someone who least expects it
14. Say please