Kinder than Neccessary

"'Shall we make a new rule of life...always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?' What a marvelous line, isn't it? Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed...That line, that concept, reminds us that we carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness...If every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary - the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God."

Go ahead, read it again. I'll wait for you. All of you...go read it again. 

The quotation above is from the book Wonder by R. J. Pallacio, which I had to read for my inclusive education class this year. I definitely recommend it if you are an educator or are interested in inclusion and children in any way. Actually, you should read it just for the adorable story! I cried more than once. Which, if you know me and books is highly unusual...right? Okay, maybe not. But still. 

This was one of those books that had me sitting there scribbling down quotations the entire time. The one above has to be one of my favourites. So much truth packed into those words. What if? What if we made that our motto in life, to be just a little kinder than is necessary? I think every person in the class adopted those words as their own teaching philosophy by the end of the term. But this quote struck me for more reasons than just being a teacher. 

I think the idea of being kinder than necessary is so applicable to our lives. Now, let me clarify that this does not mean having no boundaries. Boundaries are good and healthy components of our lives. But just take a minute to imagine some of your daily encounters lived by this principle. Lately this has meant that when one of my kindergarten students came up to me with a scab on his finger and horrified expression on his face and said "ummm Miss? This came off of my body and now there is bloooood!" (yes, exactly like that YouTube video), instead of responding in frustration because I had only reminded him to stop touching his face a bazillion times, maybe taking a deep breath and giving a gentle and logical reminder that this is why we don't pick scabs would be a perfectly fine accompaniment to a natural consequence.

Or when that person in line at grocery store is rude to you? Why not just give a nice smile instead of feeling annoyed at them and your plight in the ever-horrible grocery line lottery of life. I could go on and on (and most of my latest personal reminders have to do with kindergarten), but I hope that this little quotation gives you too, some food for thought today. The choice is yours - you have the capacity to be kind. We all make choices regarding our actions and we each possess the ability to choose kindness. And just maybe, someone will see the face of God in you. Because isn't that what everyone needs?