All over the world today we are aware of alarming situations, including terrorist bombings, racial gang wars and natural disasters. By our thoughts and actions as ordinary citizens, let us remind ourselves that we have an impact on what is happening around us. We can make this be felt by practicing little acts of kindness in our daily lives.

Kindness is among the gifts we can easily spread to others. We can start with our family and friends, and eventually extend it to our office mates. We can also show kindness to strangers who need help along the way. Our next door neighbour may get sick and need us to go to a drugstore, a brother or sister may need urgently our presence or financial assistance, or an elderly person down the street may need the lawn mowed. Whenever we take the time to give kindness, we will find that it returns to us in the form of happiness. We feel good inside for reaching out to someone, don’t we?

The reverse is also true. Sometimes, we forget about the kind deeds that other people have done for us. Do we remember when we were on holidays and our neighbour looked after our plants and mail? Or how about a friend picking up our child at school because we had important meeting at work? Or as a kid, our older brother or sister who helped us finished a project for school? If we think about all those kindness, we will remember how happy we were to receive them.

Kindness melts the most severe anger and makes happy the hardest hearts. No kindness is too small to win and hold our affection because it is made up of gentleness, generosity, and caring. In fact, it is the very basis of love.

Let us open our hearts and let in the sunshine for kindness.