If there were ever a time we needed to believe in the redemption of kindness, in the humanity of our neighbours, surely it’s now. I don’t know of a single person, regardless of political persuasion, who isn’t left reeling by news of continuous mass shootings and random gun violence constantly in the news.
This, however, is not a piece on better background checks or a ban on assault-style weapons in the United States, both of which would make so much sense in the opinion of this writer. Nor is it a commentary on how Canada’s gun laws seem to be working better than theirs, based on my news feed. It’s also not about how basic safety has been politicized and white nationalism has once again reared its ugly head. It’s not about why I (and I’m sure so many others like me) now do a risk assessment and think twice before going to malls and festivals and other types of public places that have become typical targets.
I’m not writing about any of that. Today I’m writing about those little pinpricks of hope that poke through the onslaught of horrible news. The ones reported all too rarely that sometimes give you a lump in your throat and hopefully put a little smile on your face.
Here’s one. Ruben Martinez, an 11-year-old El Paso boy, wanted to do something to honour the people who were killed in his hometown a few weeks ago, when a 21-year-old mowed down back-to-school shoppers at a local Walmart. So he came up with the #ElPasoChallenge, which encourages each person in his city to do 22 good deeds for others.
The sixth-grader came up with some suggestions: visit a nursing home; write someone a letter telling them how great they are; donate to a needy family; hold the door for someone.
Then he walked the walk. Last week he delivered dinner to first responders and visited several stores to spread the message.
While we’re on the subject of children and kindness, here’s another heartwarming tale you might have missed: A 6-year-old boy from Georgia asked his mother to emblazon a very important saying on his back-to-school shirt. He could’ve chosen anything – “I Love Fortnite” or the logo of this favourite sports team – but instead he asked for these words:
I will be your friend.
His mother explained that the little boy wanted all the kids in his school to know he was there for them. If someone was feeling lonely or upset and wasn’t sure who they could turn to, his proclamation would, hopefully, lead them to the solace of a new friend. It was so simple, but so powerful.
Of course kindness is practiced by adults, too, though it can be harder to bring into focus with chaos in traffic or in line at the grocery store or waiting at a doctor’s office. It’s there, though, we just have to look.
Here’s an example: Several weeks ago an Alabama woman received a letter that complained about the state of her house. “Your eyesore is affecting the resale value of our homes,” it read. “Do better!!!”
What the letter-writer didn’t know is that the woman was going through a very rough patch. Her husband had lost his job, her health had just taken a turn for the worse, and her 3-year-old son, who is autistic, was battling stage 4 neuroblastoma.
The woman posted the letter and her son’s story on Facebook, urging others to “try being kind to your neighbour” and to “say hello to people.” The response was overwhelming. One person created a Facebook page to help organize volunteers and donations. The lawn was mowed, debris was removed, and supplies were delivered to the family.
I’m not suggesting that kindness alone will solve the difficult and dark issues that have burrowed into our society. That’s going to take courage and willpower, and a renunciation of the special interests that have corrupted the various political systems in our government and beyond. But kindness can, and does, serve as a natural painkiller to the hurt in the world. It does. We just have to keep trying to see the good, and the good will present itself and ease someone’s suffering, however momentarily.