Hello my Friends, This is a must to read, we all need to read it very carefully,kathy Tara D. Miller "But in order for us to be able to love we need to have faith because faith is love in action, and love in action is service" - Mother Teresa The essence of kindness is love. When one's heart stirs toward someone else, or some cause, and one builds a desire to show love. Kindness is an outward action that shows the deep emotion of the heart. Kindness is "love in action." It is not shocking to say that love and kindness are tied together. For the most part, all people realize this tie because kindness is a good thing, and therefore, it must have some tie to love's beauty. As poetic as this tie can seem, there are serious implications: if showing kindness is how we communicate love, then what do we communicate when we stop showing kindness? Kindness can be easy to show when we are responding to someone we love, or to someone we are newly dating, but what happens when we have to show kindness to a stranger? When someone we don't know is rude to us, is it all right to be rude back? Is it all right to withhold kindness? And if we do return this rudeness, what impression are we leaving with that person? And what happens when we allow ourselves to be rude to a complete stranger? After all, it is a natural reaction when someone gave a glare, or cut in front in the checkout line, or stole the best parking spot. We are merely responding to their bad attitude - maybe this time they will learn what a jerk they have been. When we stop showing mercy and kindness, then they will realize how merciless, and how unkind, they have been, right? After days of exercising our right to be cold to the strangers who have been cold to us, then what? What happens when we go home to the people that we really do love? Then it becomes personal. Then it becomes about you and your loved ones. What happens when you are confronted in the relationships that you feel invested in? When your wife forcefully asks you to hang up your coat, and pick your socks up off the floor? Or, your husband comes home from work and glares at you for not having supper ready? As invested as you are in your intimate relationships, you now have a choice: will you show this person kindness, or will you demolish them, like all the jerks who pushed your limits through out the rest of your day? Deep down you might really want to show kindness, but you are tired, and hungry, and angry from work, and now they are going to demand from you, like all the other jerks in your day. And after a day of showing no kindness to strangers, coworkers, customers, and supervisors, what will happen when you are at home, or with your friends? Over days and weeks of allowing yourself to return rudeness with rudeness, or sit with your anger in every day encounters, you are teaching yourself a new response pattern: returning anger with anger, returning a bad attitude with a bad attitude, and hatred with hatred. If your actions show no kindness you are communicating hate. Sure, it might not seem like a bad thing to tick off that lady who was so rude to you. Your chest might puff up a little as you walk away, because you "showed her." But, what did you show her? Grace? Mercy? Kindness? Did you show her that you are a good person, that you are someone who is worthy of receiving kindness in the first place? And when you get home to the relationships that matter the most, you have taught yourself how to respond to anger, complaint, and hostility. You will "show them" what you have shown everyone else you encountered throughout your day. Some people say they repay kindness with kindness, which is a nice thought. But are you willing to be the person that starts showing kindness first? A strange thing happens when you start to respond with kindness rather than returning hostility, even in the little things. For some strange reason, the act of kindness is rewarded enough. Your chest might puff up a little as you walk away, reminding yourself that you are a good person. You are kind, and merciful, and you have shown grace. The more grace you show in your every day life, the easier it will become for you to show grace when you are confronted in your intimate relationships. After all, as you show kindness to those who have no empathy for you, or no commitment to you, you are teaching yourself a good thing, you are conditioning yourself to be kind. You are teaching yourself how to show love in all of your actions. How you live moment to moment will condition your heart. Showing kindness rather than hostility, is teaching your heart the best thing of all: how to love. It is not easy to show love and kindness under all circumstance, but it is possible to try. The more kindness you show, the more love will be in your heart. The more love in your heart, the more love you will have to give. Kindness is love in action.

Excellent Kathy! This is exactly the message I've been trying to teach my kids. Just because someone is rude to you, doesn't mean you should be rude back. It means that you should take the opportunity to rise above their rudeness and respond with a smile and extend the courtesy to them that they have not shown you. You might actually help the rude one to improve their mood, and treat the next person they come into contact with better. Have an awesome day! Trina

This is a very awesome article Kathy. Thank you for sharing you always have such great articles to share. I enjoy each & everyone of them.

Hi KAthy, What an excellent message. Thank you for sharing this. Your Good Friend Deborah

Thank you ladies, Its a real shame more people do not teach their families this,everyone is so busy and always in a hurry they forget and take advantage of the real important things,thanks,kathy