Radiating Kindness

Kindness...you know, that thing we're starting to see float around on social media like it's been missing for 100 years. That thing that used to be all over the news, but now we can't watch the news because it's all violance. That thing that makes our hearts go pitter-patter. The world needs more kindness. It encourages us to be better versions of ourselves when it happens to us and makes our heart much less grinchy when we share it.

But, let's be real. Like that time you lost your mind momentarily, because the dirty dishes were sitting on the counter for the ump-teenth time when the dishwasher was full...when you hollered at the sixth request to get the bedroom cleaned and the people were surprised that you were upset...when you have been up all night managing the puke bucket for someone else and keep going the next day managing not to behead anyone... You know parenthood, the best thing you've ever done.  Ok, well, it is, but good lawd, who knew it would be so HARD?!

Back to kindness.

This thing is a work in progress. It's not my normal go to self, this being kind every hour of every day. It's hard to be kind sometimes. It's hard to be kind most of the time, if I'm really walking the walk I'm talking here, because life and people are frustrating. And, life is beautiful when you focus on putting kindness out there rather than the kindness you're getting. There are some dang good people out there waiting to be kind back to you. YES WAY. There are. 

Here's the scoop: My chica has had a winter hat that she loves since last season. It's a pretty popular company among the teenieboppers. Being me, mom who must wash all things because - eww, I washed it. The label on the hat bled all over the hat and despite my using the secret miracle stain remover, scrubbing, washing, and hoping, it's stuck forever. On a hat that's sold out. So, I emailed the company to see if this flavor fave was coming back in to stock...and to ask them to help a mama out. You know what they said?

"We would like to make this right. Please keep the item you received and use the discount code below to reorder a new item."

WHAT?!

I didn't even ask for a new one! MAJOR KINDNESS WIN!

Now, I realize this is a first world problem kind of thing. But there's an important point here. This gave me a chance for a teachable moment with the chica and oh I love those! She's tickled pink that she gets a new hat, but that's not the best part. I'm trying to teach her about this advocacy thing and that if you don't ask, the answer is automatically no. But if you do ask and you're genuinely nice about it, sometimes the answer is yes! All hail the hat savior that backed me up on that life lesson.

So, I'm back on the kindness train. It's headed in the right direction. Be good to people, and when you f it up, because you will, own it. Be real and just keep working toward doing better. There's no perfection here, just baby steps. Be a kind human. The world might even save you with a great new teeniebopper hat when you do!