Last night, while in bed in that twilight between waking and sleeping, tucked between the cozy sheets with Pepper snuggled up against me, two words came into my mind and refused to leave. Spread kindness. I mulled them around trying to figure out what they were meant to tell me.

Next the image of bread heavily spread with peanut butter came to mind. Then thick pads of butter on a slice of golden brown toast. Next were the words, thank you. I read several books lately about the Holocaust and I’m having a difficult time wrapping my mind around how people became so evil. With all the hate that is swirling around in the world today, how do we stop from falling into the depths of toxic hate ever again?

Spread kindness.

I wipe the tears from my eyes as I watch the fallen service members from the Kabul attack return home.

Spread kindness.

Smile. Say thank you. Give a hug to someone who needs it. Wear a mask. Get a vaccine. Leave a tip to your server. Take a meal to an overworked health care worker. Do whatever is needed to help a friend, a family member and especially a stranger who may be lonely or in pain or simply struggling to make ends meet.

Like spreading that peanut butter on a slice of bread, slather it on thick. Do it daily, wherever you may find yourself. Turn it into your habit. One thing I know for certain is that kindness is contagious. Let’s spread kindness letting it embrace everyone we meet and everything we do. It’s a start.

#spreadkindness