The Gift of Kindness

"When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people."
Abraham Joshua Heschel

This quote by Herschel touches my heart so deeply. In the past month I have had the priviledge to work with senior citizens on a daily basis - to play with them, laugh with them and cry with them.

They have been my teachers and my friends, my employers and my playmates. From them, I have learned so very much in such a short period of time, but the most important lesson of all has been the simplest - kindness. For when you give kindness, you receive kindness. The giving is a gift as much as the getting.

And it can be so simple a thing, kindness. A gentle hand, an assistance down a hallway, someone to listen as you tell a story, or someone to empathize as you cry over a memory.

Allow the gift of kindness to intrude upon your busy lives - let it come into your heart and bless your spirit. For kindness is an amazing gift of the spirit and of the heart - one that we all possess and can all share, if we choose to do so. Make the choice.