What does being kind mean to you? Does it mean feeling pity for someone or helping somebody when they need it? If this is your answer, then you are right.

But let me also add that kindness is not limited to helping someone in need. It means caring for someone and offering help even if they don’t ask for it. We can be kind to everyone around us. Let’s not be rude.

If someone is looking for the way to the grocery store, guide them in the right direction. Kindness can be sharing your lunch with a classmate who doesn’t have any. It can mean lending your book to a classmate to help them catch up on missed work.

Giving a flower to your mother when she is tired is also an act of kindness. Distributing chocolates among little kids and speaking politely to those who work under your supervision are also examples of kind behaviour.

Life is full of ups and downs. We all go through failures, losses and bad news. Show empathy to those in distress or going through hard times. Saying thank you to your mother when she cooks your favourite dish and helping her set the table is also an act of kindness. Helping your grandmother find her lost glasses is another example.

Assisting elderly people in crossing the road and offering cold water to those working in the heat are also kind deeds.

Let go of personal grudges, remove negative feelings, and choose to move forward with kindness and harmony.

Let’s be kind in our daily lives and spread happiness around us. Let’s be kind in our actions and our words. It costs nothing to be kind. Let’s be kind to receive kindness in return. In the end, I want to share a few beautiful words by Muniba Mazari, the Iron Lady of Pakistan. She says, “A little more kindness and a little less judgment is all we need to make this world a better place!

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 5th, 2024