A gracious act can resonate for a lifetime.
When someone does something kind for you, it reassures you of your own worthiness and reminds you that the world is not a dark place.
David Sarasohn explains this more in an article “How Kindness Appreciates” in the Nov. 2019 Rotarian magazine.
“The kindnesses that stay with you, the ones that light your life for years to come, don’t involve the bestowing of stuff. Material generosity, the giving of things, is admirable, but our appreciation may last no longer than the stuff itself. A meal or a sweater or even a watch carries an expiration date; someone putting himself forward for you at a key moment stays with you as long as you yourself deal with other people. In the long – term database we each carry around, there are more entries filed under ‘kindness, deeply remembered acts of’ than most of us imagine.
“In 1970, after James Baker’s wife died of cancer, George H.W. Bush suggested that his fellow tennis club member might find some distraction in helping out on Bush’s Senate campaign. Baker was reluctant; he noted that for one thing, he, like most people in Texas at that time, was a Democrat. Oh, said Bush, he didn’t care about that. He just hated to see Baker looking so sad all the time.
“Bush’s reaching out to a friend led to Baker’s eventually becoming White House chief of staff, secretary of the treasury, and secretary of state. It didn’t work out badly for Bush, either. And 48 years later, in his eulogy at Bush’s state funeral, Baker quoted the former president as saying, ‘When a friend is hurting, show that you care,’ and ‘Be kind to people.’
“Kindness is more than an action. It’s a power, even a superpower. It empowers the receiver, giving him something that can strengthen him years later, after the original circumstances have faded like old election predictions. It also empowers the giver, because making a positive impact on someone’s life is the most powerful ability imaginable, much stronger than Superman’s X-ray vision.”
In this season of giving, try and give some extra kindness. Be a blessing.
Teenagers are invited to the Guymon Public Library on Dec. 30 for a Do It Yourself (DIY) Dream Board building. The class starts at 5 pm. Go by the library and find out about what’s happening there!
Special Game Day is the Noble Center in Good on Jan. 12 for families with a member that has special needs. The Sunday afternoon fun starts at 3 pm and Seaboard Foods is providing free hot dogs at the end of the game. The teams would love to have your support. This game of Kickball is put on by the OPSU Baseball Team in a partnership with Main Street Guymon. Such a great event to be a part of! Call 580-338-6246 to register to attend.
See you on the bricks!