Kindness is…

Understanding. Empathy. Compassion. Generosity. Selflessness. Consideration. Helpfulness. Unconditional.

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First of all, Corita Kent (AKA Sister Mary Corita) was my inspiration for today’s word and image. My design is a little more childlike than her work, but the lettering and colors are slightly similar to her iconic pop art style.

I’d like to return to humor as I continue Blogging through the Alphabet, but Kindness seemed like such a necessary word. Plus the giant letter seemed perfect for this particular series!

I don’t go out as much as I’d like, but when I do… I am often surprised by the lack of kindness that I witness out there. I don’t want to be hypocritical, either, because I – myself – am nowhere near as kind as I used to be. Sometimes I can literally feel the resistance in my heart.

I don’t know if it comes from being hardened by the world, or by one’s own obsession with their own selfish ambitions and the passion to achieve the goals that go with them… or the disappointment that comes when inevitable points of failure are reached. It’s probably a mix.

Anyway, I was amazed at the number of words that came up when I looked to define the word kindness. It’s similar to friendliness, but it goes much deeper than that. It includes empathy, compassion, and – best of all – things that are done unselfishly, with no expectation of return or reward.

I loved that, in my search, I found the statement “Actions speak louder than words,” because that is so true… even when it comes to love. I can sit here and talk (or write) about kindness until my face turns blue, but that has no real bearing on how I’ll behave when I leave the house again.

Sometimes I wonder if we write or talk about how to be better people when, in fact, the only person we really want to change is ourselves. Maybe it’s just me.

BUT, I have to disagree a little and say that kindness is not just about actions. I think words are important too. A please, a thank you, or a compliment that helps to brighten someone else’s day.

Like if I told you… dear reader… how much I appreciate and care for you. Without you, my words and illustrations would only exist in some dark and lonely void. So, thank you. I don’t know if saying that is a solid example of showing ‘kindness’ but it’s heartfelt nonetheless.

Well, I suppose that’s about all for the letter K. Thank you for reading/viewing, I hope you enjoyed something here!

I’ll see you soon for the letter L. Until then,

Peace & Love!!