In praise of kindness

In Istanbul last week DH & I experienced lots of kindness from local people only too happy to help lost tourists and try to help them around the city as our map reading skills seemed to fail us on more than one occasion!

In my world of 'cup half full' I try to remember it is only the bad or one off things that are news or that we remember most easily.
The thousands of good deeds, courtesies and kindness that make up most of life we do not always see so easily.

Happily I have not experienced too much unkindness in my life & I do try hard to be kind and always encourage kindness in the children with whom I work. Mostly they are

Kindness to be praised indeed. I have received a seemingly endless stream of kindness since I had my fall - from gransnetters, neighbours, family. It has made it all worthwhile in a strange way - to know how kind and caring people can be. That is one lesson I will take away from all this - not to be backward in sending out kindness, as it has meant so much to me. And the other lesson - patience! - evrything takes an eternity and I am exhausted most of the time, and I am having to learn to let it all flow by! As DD said yesterday - yes, you are dependent on others at the moment, but just go with it and let people help as they wish - it will in turn help them as they will enjoy extending kindness to you.

Nice thread grannyknot. I have a crosstitch wall hanging in my hall which I did years ago "Love is kind". I try to live by the motto but have not always succeeded. It gets easier to do as I get older.

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The kindness of Gransnetters is hard to beat - we don't know each other, we have nothing to gain or lose, so there is no hidden agenda. Therefore GN responses and help have such real value. Lucky us. to all.

I agree completely Ella46. That's probably the way of the world.

Do people set out to be unkind, I wonder, or are they just thoughtless?

I love being kind, it does make me feel happy in myself.

I think I've become much kinder as I've got older though, as when I was younger, I wasn't so bothered about other peoples feelings.

Traditional tale

A wise woman who travelled in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream as she was foraging for food. The next day she met another traveller who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveller saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveller left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him a lifetime of security. However a few days later he returnedto the mountain with the stone to find the wise woman.

"I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."

Grannyknot How good to see this thread. I was thinking about the concept of kindness just yesterday. Well timed.

It doesn't cost anything either does it? But it is a good tonic for both the giver and the recipient

Reminds me of the Girl Guides - we were encouraged to do a good deed every day. Even a smile and a cheery word as you pass someone in the street can count.

Nice thread Grannyk. I'm going to make a bit more effort to be kinder today too

Like this. Just thinking about kindness has a calming effect on me. I think I will try to be kind today.

Today I have recieved a lot of kindness form other GN's