One of my favorite quotes is an Aesop quote on kindness, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”. This is especially true in small communities. Every act of kindness makes a big impact, even if you consider the act to be a small gesture. In the digital age, it can be easy to become stressed or anxious when world affairs, politics, or even local events within your community are real time notifications that we receive on our phones. While it can be great to always be informed, this can feel overwhelming and in some cases; devastating. One thing I have been focused on to be more kind to myself is to read at least a chapter of a book in the mornings before I reach for my phone.
Reading can keep our minds sharp and allow for an escape into someone else’s story. I prefer to read physical books instead of reading on a Kindle. One program that our community has implemented is Little Free Libraries. When I finish reading my books, I always leave them in the Little Free Libraries for someone else to enjoy. Our boxes are larger to also hold games or puzzles as well. The Little Free Libraries have been a great success in our community and a book swap was created. There are local events at our parks where you can meet with groups with the purpose to swap books and reuse, reduce, and “recycle” book copies! This is kind to our Earth and encourages others to read as well. Being a part of these groups, I have formed friendships over similar interests in books and learned more about different book genres as well. These programs have given many people in the community opportunities to donate books and enrich others. An act of kindness of dropping a book in a Little Free Library may seem like a small gesture, but it is never wasted. Someone will be able to enjoy a book, that otherwise may have gone to a landfill. I encourage all to participate in the Little Free Library system in your community!
