Week 2 of The Richness of a Simple Life’s: Observe Kindness Around You
Kindness Recap: Last week we were asked to practice self-kindness. I revealed that I am terrible at self-kindness. Guess what? I still stink at it. My saving grace is I am self-aware. Last week’s post Self Kindness Deficiency focuses on the steps I take to when I am bullied by my worst enemy, me.
Self-awareness is exhausting! I take mini vacations from myself and I observe the kindness in my home.
After the carpools, activities, homework, bath, and dinner (Yes, the list is long) my daughters and I are gifted to just “Be”. I have a cup of tea and I watch them interact in the family room.
My daughters watch television arm-in-arm. The baby becomes restless and crawls all over the big girl. The big girl laughs and the baby squeals. The big girl helps the baby with her toys. They spin in circles on the rug. They laugh some more.
The love between my daughters washes away the anxieties of the day.
In the mornings, as I wait for the caffeine to kick in, and we flail around for coats and shoes, I observe them. The big girl puts the baby’s coat and shoes on without a word from me. It’s nothing I ask for, or expect. She just does. The baby hugs the big girl and will not let go. Her gratitude is nothing I taught her. She just does.
The kindness I witness between my daughters is beautiful. As their mother, I worry about the cruelty they will experience in this world. I know I cannot protect them from it all. I hope they see home as a place they can heal, they can breathe, they can be. Their home is a place where kindness is not a demand or rule. Kindness is just the way, like a song in the background.
I never taught them the lyrics. They teach me in the evenings as wind down with my cup of tea. While I drown myself in caffeine every morning, my daughters teach me the melody of kindness. My daughters are my mentors. All I have to do is put down my phone, get out of my own head, and just listen to them sing.
“The earth has music for those who listen.” George Santayana
UnSimply She 
I can relate to this so much! I love watching kids and we could all learn so much from them! My 18 month old looks for her sister 6 years older than her first thing every morning. They give each other the BIGGEST longest hug as if they haven’t seen each other in days and they sleep in the same bed… I love how you watching your girls just melts everything away. How can you incorporate things that you learn from them into your own life? No need to answer, just something to ponder. You mention them being your mentors, how can you live what you learn?
I’d like to share this quote with you in case you haven’t heard it. You’re doing all the right things!
“It’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.”
― L.R. Knost
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Thank you Niki! Watching our children be kind to each other is the best thing on this earth. For a moment everything is OK. I love the quote. A wonderful perspective!
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It always reminds me that’s our natural state of being. Like you said, they aren’t taught to be that way, they just are. At some point we were like that as well! Whenever I watch my girls it reminds me that I still can be that way, it takes a little more effort because I’ve learned other things along the way and forgot my nature but it’s still there and I can tap into it 😉
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Yes. I try to remember that when I observe my girls play.
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🙂
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Beautiful! Our children inspire, teach and encourage us without any effort on their part. They just are 😊
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Thank you! My daughters teach me so much. I have to implement their lessons more often.
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you have taught them love. The most important thing
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They teach me.
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Maybe you didn’t teach by telling, but they probably learned by watching. ❤
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Thank you!
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A child’s love can leave a smile on my heart any day. Last night I was at the local ice cream shop and noticed a small girl, about three. All of a sudden she was very concerned, there was a young boy about five who was sitting alone. She was scared for him and it was so sincere. Soon after, his mother and siblings arrived. It was very warming to think she really wanted to know he was not all by himself.
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That is wonderful. Children are so caring. It gives us hope!
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So true, the eyes of a child do give us hope. 🙂
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This is such a beautiful post and you’re right, kindness isn’t a rule, it’s just a way of being. And it sounds as though your children are getting the best possible start in life with you as their model. We all learn from each other. Lovely reflective post.
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Thank you! They are my best and cutest teachers!
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Agreed! 🙂
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What a lovely post. Children are such beautiful teachers with their open hearts that radiate love.
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Thank you! If we listen, children have so much to teach us.
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The innocence and love that shine through children ❤ what amazing teachers they are, reminding us to be kind to one another.
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They do. We just have to pay attention.
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We all struggle with self kindness from time to time
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Absolutely. When we recognize it, we can try to stop the cycle.
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