When I was growing up life was tough, very tough for a kid of my age to experience. But I think for us here it’s a normal thing, you get used and satisfied with whatever little that’s available. Having a meal once a day, twice is a charm. Going to school bare footed, having one set of uniform throughout the year and you do all you can to make sure you maintain it all through the year even if it means missing school games and other cool things kids of my age did.
When I was growing up I lacked a lot of things, I can honestly say I didn’t really enjoy my childhood, it was just filled with frustrations, pain and sadness. Sometimes wondering why it had to be me but then you can’t really blame your parents because them too were trying to give us the best they could but it wasn’t all good enough. In our African tradition when I was young people were kind to each other, helping each other where necessary and however they could but now! The level of kindness has dropped in levels. Right now each one of us is holding on tight to whatever they have, it should rather choke them than even share. Kindness doesn’t really cost you anything in fact in real sense it nourishes you, builds and boosts you.
I received a lot of kindness when I was young, from food, clothes and even place to stay and other necessities. This acts of kindness helped me, they made me see good in people and it made me feel good that people were kind enough to help me when I needed help. All this contributed to who I am today. Now what of that person who has never been shown that kindness when they needed it? some are compelled to do bad things like steal and other crimes.
They don’t steal because they want to no! it’s just the situation they find themselves after trying to ask for help and brushed away. This compels them to do anything necessary to survive. For instance, a person knocks at your door and asks for food/leftovers instead of helping the individual you send them away with maybe abusive words, this individual will be compelled to steal food to calm down his/her stomach and stealing is a punishable crime. This could have been avoided if this individual would have been shown kindness.
A good percentage of crimes being committed in this world could all have been avoided if people had showed kindness to each other. Imagine if everybody in this world was kind enough to each other? instead of being selfish and jealous. Imagine how good it will feel? each one of us living in harmony and peace with each other. This is what the world needs right now as we are facing the challenges of this pandemic. Many people out here need that kindness. That homeless person near your home, that friend who has lost his/her job and doesn’t know what to do next they all need our kindness no matter how small we have to offer it will change something and will contribute to better humanity
How we treat a person during the darkest moment of their lives is a benchmark of humanity. Why should we treat each other badly? It is because we want to be better than them? Or because we think they don’t deserve what we are giving them? Why don’t we give without expecting anything back?
The Kindness I received when I was young really inspired me (now that my family is in a better place financially than we were before) to always show kindness whenever possible no matter how small it is and I believe am living to that up to date helping friends and strangers whichever way possible and I gotta say it’s a feeling that one can’t explain. It really feels good to be kind; it makes me feel good about myself and I want you to try and do the same. Let’s make this world a better place for the coming generations, lets uproot hatred amongst us because that’s what will kill us. Let’s come together and heal the world with kindness.