The older you get
the more you realize
that
kindness is synonymous with happiness.
-- Lionel
Barrymore
Once in
a while, we forget about the kind things people
have done for us.
Do we
remember the next door neighbor who helped us
get our kite out of a tree, or the brother who
helped us finish a project for school?
If we
think about these kindnesses, we will remember
how happy we were to receive them.
These
people and others may need a kindness we can
give.
Our
next-door neighbor may get sick and need us to
go to the store, a brother or sister may need to
borrow a radio, or the elderly person down the
street may need the lawn mowed.
Whenever
we take the time to give a kindness, we will
find that like the boomerang, it returns to us
in the form of happiness.
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Being a healthy
parent means being firm but nurturing,
giving
children a decent sense of the boundaries
along
with lots of unconditional love.
-- Karen
Shaud
In a
healthy family, life goes along and everybody
pitches in to do the housework. Some people
wonder why housework is such a big deal.
It is
because people need to contribute to a group in
order to feel they belong to it.
Housework
makes us part of the same group -- our house,
our family.
We make
our house comfortable so we can feel comfortable
and safe in it.
We show
love for ourselves by making our surroundings
likeable.
And when
we do physical work, we can do our inner
housekeeping, letting go of negative feelings
that pile up during the day.
On days
when life feels out of control, we feel good
when we do one simple job: clean the messy desk,
wash dirty dishes, shovel the snowy walk.
In this
way we regain control of our feelings as well as
a perspective on those things within our
control.
Then we
will see how healthy and powerful laughter can
be.
|
Gentleness is not
a quality exclusive to women.
-- Helen
Reddy
Each of
us has our soft side: maybe it's when we're
petting a kitten...
caring
for a baby robin with an injured wing...
or
soothing a crying child who is afraid.
Behaving
in a gentle way toward others gives us warm
feelings inside.
It also
encourages others to treat us gently, too.
We don't
always feel like being gentle.
If we're
sad or worried about school or a friend, we
might not even notice the people around us who
need our gentleness.
But when
we remember gentleness, it lifts our spirits.
Two
people will always be happier when we're gentle
-- the person we've been gentle to and
ourselves.
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_______________
Copyright
© 2024 Hazelden Betty
Ford Foundation. All rights reserved. from the
book Today's Gift
Whispers image Copyright © Nene
Thomas
Dividers from Teaapot's
Graphics (dead link - 12/30/2005)
Waiting For Tonight and Mother Nature images
Copyright © Barnali
Bagchi
The Gate image
Copyright © Stefan
Blondal
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