From the song 'Kind & Generous' by Natalie Merchant:

You've been so kind and generous,
I don't know how you keep on giving.
For your kindness I'm in debt to you,
And I never could have come this far without you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qkgQZt1Mmg

Do you recall the adults in the movie 'It Takes Two' who adopted lots of children? They appeared to be kind, but were they? Kindness may be more than just doing the basics for someone.

Movie trailer: https://youtu.be/yh1OH4NnLWQ

"If we cannot be clever, we can always be kind."
- Alfred Fripp

"To err on the side of kindness is seldom an error."
- Liz Armbruster, posted on www.robertbrault.com

"Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree."
- Marian Wright Edelman

"One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind."
- Malayan Proverb

"Kindness is the greatest wisdom."
- Author Unknown

"Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom."
- Theodore Isaac Rubin, MD

MainMessageForToday
Kindness may be more rewarding than you think.

From the song 'Don't Be Cruel' by Bobby Brown:

Don't be cruel because I would never be that cruel to you...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd7dCbEfTs4

"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind."
- Henry James

"When I was young, I admired clever people.  Now that I am old, I admire kind people."
- Abraham Joshua Heschel

"A kind word is like a Spring day."
- Russian Proverb

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."
- Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

"In a world full of people who couldn't care less, be someone who couldn't care more."
- Author Unknown

MainMessageForToday
In our world today, a kind person seems to stick out like a sore thumb. Kindness could make a person stand out.

From the song 'Put A Little Love In Your Heart':

I hope when you decide,
kindness will be your guide,
Put a little love in your heart,
and the world will be a better place
for you and me,
you just wait and see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3J_3mcOwdQ

"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love."
- Saint Basil

"Goodness is about character - integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people."
- Dennis Prager

"To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness."
- Confucius

"It has always seemed strange to me... the things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second."
- John Steinbeck

"Human kindness is becoming a rare commodity. One has to look far and wide to find kindness within a person, simply for the sake of it, with no expectation of anything in return.....
For those who still have this trait within them, guard it well and use it often. It is a trait worth treasuring. It is a trait which puts one in the same league as angels.
...
To be kind means to give to those who are in need without pausing to ask 'what do I get back in return?' It means to help someone simply because they need help which we are able to provide."
- George Sand, http://omarkiam.wordpress.com/tag/george-sand/

MainMessageForToday
People admire a successful person, but success is usually associated with ambition, greed, self-interest and unfairness. Kind people (like Mother Theresa) are also admired. What do you prefer to be admired for?

Theme for the week 5/22 - 5/28: Kindness.