Just be kind. To everyone. All the time.

I've been doing workshops for parents (of preschoolers) this week on the topic of "bullying" but instead of focusing on the negative, reactionary side (i.e. after a child has experienced a bullying), we've been discussing how to prepare kids for those kind of social situations - Expanding their vocabulary, identifying feelings and emotions, providing strategies for challenging situations, etc. And focusing on ways that parents can instill kindness and respect in their children.

So far I've had some truly remarkable discussions with these parents. They are working very hard to provide their children with the tools necessary to navigate this confusing and sometime brutal world. Thankfully there are some great resources out there to help them have the difficult conversations with their kids.

I've been able to use two examples with these parents that have really hit home.

The first one is the story about the NFL player from the Miami Dolphins (full story here). Some of the parents knew about the situation and others were completely shocked after hearing about it. It just goes to show that not having an open dialogue about bullying and the strategies that might be needed to get through a situation like that, might continue that bullying behavior into adulthood. And it could lead to the inappropriate, rude, and completely unacceptable behavior shown by this player, who is (whether he wants to be or not) a role model for young people. Talk about poor choices..

The second example that I used in my workshop truly warmed my heart and helped restore my faith in humanity. Watch the video if you haven't seen or heard the story about a middle school football team in Michigan but make sure you grab the tissues:

So I guess my point in this rambling is that doing something nice for someone (holding the door, writing a thank you note, helping someone put their grocery cart back, paying for someone's toll, etc.) even if it seems insignificant to you, can mean the world for someone else. And if someone does something kind for you, pass it on. It's those RANDOM acts of kindness that spur other random acts of kindness. It's worth it. Especially if you have kids. And if you don't, be the role model you expect others to be.