Last year, I witnessed a new side of kindness. It is largely derived from love, but the actions I’ve seen those around me take have been really heartwarming and reassuring.
My grandpa passed away in early February 2023. To no surprise, my family and I were very sad. We felt sadness for ourselves, but we also felt a completely separate type of sadness for my grandma. We quickly recognized that death is the end of a certain set of emotions and actions while also being the start of another set. Taking care of Grandpa was over; taking care of Grandma began.
Being close to her, I worried: “What would she do? What was she thinking? Would she feel alone? How much help was she going to need, and how were we going to support her?” In hindsight, and thankfully, these questions were nothing to be worried about.
The amount of support and help she has received is amazing. Even more heart-warming, the amount of unnecessary but kind attention she has received has really made me reacknowledge the kindness in the world:
- Our family had stepped up to assist with yard work
- Both random and consistent phone calls poured in
- New friends have reached out—and stayed in touch!
- Multiple people invited her to movies, shows, or over for coffee
- The people around her had gently nudged her to take on hobbies (in a positive light)
- We all stopped and listened to her needs, which is extremely important
It is refreshing to see kindness in such a strong manner. Random acts of kindness are great, but to see kindness when it is really needed is truly uplifting.
With all that said, be kind to everyone, including the random encounters, but don’t forget to continue to be kind to those who need you.
