I wonder if it could have been intentional that an official day calling for kindness was placed on the calendar so soon after Election Day.

Maybe it’s a nudge for some candidates and some supporters to pull it together, to stop backstabbing and spouting potential untruths, all in the quest for a government seat.

I’ve written on the theme of kindness before - and I likely will again - because I do believe people could use a reminder. Myself included.

Newspaper work can, at times, cause me to lose faith in humankind. I often wonder why some candidates feel the need to sling mud at their opponents instead of standing on their own beliefs and back story. Reading the rants can bring a jaded outlook on the world.

World Kindness Day is Nov. 13. Of course, it wasn’t created to pull us out of election negativity, but it’s never a bad thing to be encouraged to treat each other well.

The special day was first introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement.

Its purpose, according to the Inspire Kindness website, is “to highlight and encourage good deeds in your community. It also serves as a reminder to all that simple acts of kindness have power and that, together, we can all work to create a kinder world.

“You may wonder how compassion from one person can make a difference. It isn’t easy to comprehend, but every kind act, even the smallest one, creates a ripple effect you can’t begin to imagine.”

Today, World Kindness Day is observed here in the United States as well as Canada, Japan, Italy, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.

The initiative encourages us to go out of our way to be kind - at home or at work, in school or in public.

It could be as simple as holding the door for someone, saying hello or offering a compliment.

Perhaps it’s paying for coffee for the person in line behind you or adding extra groceries to your cart for donation to a local food bank.

It isn’t necessarily about making a grand gesture, but rather about making a positive difference.

How will you mark the day? How much kindness can you spread?

“The world is full of kind people.

If you can’t find one, be one.” - Unknown

Kelly Lutterschmidt

editor

Whitehall-Coplay Press

Northampton Press

Catasauqua Press