JanBeek

Welcome to Day #11 in the A-Z series,
“Add Meaning and Purpose to Life”

Today’s letter is “K”
The word is
Kindness

Here is my prayer for today,

“Lord, teach me to love
with compassion.
Let me pass no one
without a KIND word,
thought, or deed.”

I have that poem inside my kitchen cabinet door.

Nothing sweetens life like a teaspoon of kindness.

Photo by Toa Heftiba Şinca on Pexels.com

Nothing settles ruffled feathers faster than an act of kindness.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Nothing is more powerful than returning anger with a kind response.

Photo by Vera Arsic on Pexels.com

These truths were drummed into me by my mom when I was a child growing up. On the inside of her kitchen cabinet door, she had a cardboard tacked up. It was covered with poems she had cut out of the local newspaper back in the late 30’s. That was back in the days when it was typical for newspapers to post poetry on a daily or at least weekly basis.

I have that cardboard inside another cabinet door in my kitchen now. The words are faded and hard to read, but they remind me of my mom – her love of poetry, her positive philosophy of life, and the lessons she taught me. With a magnifying glass I can read some of them still.

One of my favorites is this one titled

Friends of Mine

Good morning, Brother Sunshine!
Good morning, Sister Song!
I beg your humble pardon
If you’ve waited very long.
I thought I heard you rapping,
To shut you out were sin.
My heart is standing open –
Won’t you walk right in?

Good morning, Brother Gladness!
Good morning, Sister Smile!
They told me you were coming,
So I waited on a while.
I’m lonesome here without you.
A weary while it’s been.
My heart is standing open –
Won’t you walk right in?

Good morning, Brother Kindness!
Good morning, Sister Cheer!
I heard you were out calling,
So I waited for you here.
Some days I keep forgetting
I have toil or spin
When you are my companions.
Won’t you walk right in?

The poet’s name is obliterated – all I can see is a “Ja”
But,  love the idea that

• sunshine,
• song,
• gladness and
• smiles,
• kindness and
• cheer

are right there waiting to be invited in.

Photo by Dmitry Zvolskiy on Pexels.com

What a better world we’d have,
what a better life we’d live,
if we invited them in each day…

Open your heart’s door to them –
And then spread that kindness
wherever you go today.