We have all faced challenges in our lives, some more than others. One of the hardest things to do during these moments is to remain stoic; to keep from falling apart for the world to see. While there are times when it is okay to break down emotionally, there are moments where we must remain strong, whether it is at work, or for our family members who rely on us.
Recently, my wife and I have experienced some challenges that came out of nowhere. While there were moments we wanted to break down, we kept up our strength and pushed forward. This is mainly because we had to, or else, we would be stuck in a rut with no way out. We had to be tough to make it!
During these challenging situations, we had to rely on our strength, faith, perseverance, and love for one another. On top of that, another thing we had to rely on was the kindness of strangers. From the kind woman in the restaurant who helped us with the smallest favor, to the pharmacist who ensured our prescriptions were ready to go while we were traveling back home, every small act of kindness was noticed and highly appreciated. During times of turmoil, these acts of kindness gave us the strength to keep on moving.
In the end, I truly learned just how important being a kind person is. We truly don’t understand what another person is going through. We think we do based on their outward demeanor, but someone who looks strong on the outside might be doing their best to hold themselves together. Being kind to them could be the one thing that keeps them going.
You don’t truly realize how important kindness from strangers is until you’re going through your own struggles. That one person who holds the door open, helps you pick up an item that fell, pulls over at the side of the road to help you, provides you with information you were looking for, or just gives you a friendly smile, could completely change your mindset for the day. Imagine walking down the road, feeling down, and then running into someone who gives you a friendly smile. How would this make you feel? Probably better than what you were feeling before.
I’m not going to pretend to know how others feel. However, I definitely understand that kindness goes a long way, even if it feels like it doesn’t. A small act of kindness can alter someone’s day in a very positive way. So, let’s do our best to be kind to one another, because we are all dealing with challenges no one knows anything about.
Nomadic Nurse Ankit 