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BE KIND.
It’s the type of message that often gets shared on social media without a second thought and I wish more people would actually do it.
Now, more than ever, a little kindness will go a long way. Because it’s true what the memes say: you just don’t know what people are going through.
Maybe someone knocked their trolley into you because they were thinking of their sick child and worrying about childcare or taking a day off to look after them but concerned about what their bosses will say.
Or they didn’t smile at your greeting because they’re mourning the loss of a loved one or they’ve recently been retrenched.
It might be they didn’t thank you for something due to the fact they’re struggling to get out of a fog of depression or they’re spiralling down a financial black hole and can’t see the light any longer.
There are so many things people are battling with and you just can’t tell by looking at someone. They could be hiding deep wounds or trying to cover fresh scars.
If you think about your own life – how much you’re carrying every day – wouldn’t you want someone to be kind to you? To be understanding of your situation without knowing the details and cut you some slack?The thing is – everyone is going through a lot right now because of 2020 being what it is. And that’s not even touching on people who are suffering devastating losses over and above Covid-related ones. The level of trauma and stress may vary depending on the health and wealth status, but pretty much all of us have been affected in a significant way and there a lot of people walking around with some level of depression, stress or post-traumatic stress disorder. So maybe today try to be a little nicer, a bit more tolerant, a smidge more compassionate. Maybe your words of encouragement or support instead of snarkiness and spite could change someone’s life. It costs nothing but is so priceless, so maybe try it today – be kind.
