The Kindness Equation

Happy February!
(Grab some coffee cause this post is kind of long ...)

Today I woke up thinking about kindness. And it felt good. So while my husband is out kindly picking up donuts, I thought I'd share some of those thoughts.


This weekend, the nation will spend unimaginable sums of money on one of America's favorite annual events, the Super Bowl. It's the championship game between two professional football teams. I'm not really sure where they're playing, but I know that my team, the Packers, didn't make it this year. It's not a big deal to all of us, but it's a big deal to a lot of people.

Just once, I think it'd be cool if all of that money went to charity
 instead of to our recreation and entertainment. 

Because sometimes things don't add up and people need kindness and help more than football. Take this wrestler from Georgia with downs syndrome ... Kim from CA and Jennifer from Canada both sent this link last week, so I'm sending you there first ... go on, I'll just freshen up my coffee.

Another one of my scouts texted this article to me because she knew it'd score a touchdown. And it did! If you've missed this post about a math teacher who has been working to intentionally change her classroom climate since Columbine, you must click {here}. I'll be here when you get back.

Did you go read it? That teacher knows that kids need the kindness equation as much as math, too! 

My friend Lee also knows the equation. This weekend, he'll combine kindness and service with the big game. You see, he's got a ministry for the homeless in Houston and he goes downtown every Wednesday night to visit with them, pray with them, give them hope. He takes his girls along, and anyone else who will go with him. On Sunday, he and some buddies are throwing a Super Bowl party for those people. In a field, on a borrowed big screen run by a generator. So that these friends, for whom life just hasn't been kind, can escape for a bit and enjoy a one-of-a-kind Super Bowl party. Some of our school family members were able to send along individually-wrapped treats so that they'll have treats like Oreos, candy bars, Ritz bits and more to snack on during the game. I can't wait to hear all about it.



This week I read about some teens who also know the kindness equation. I first saw the project posted on the Hood's Kindness Revolution Experiment page by Principal Joelle Hood. Their kindness solution was simple; take signs of encouragement to the street and share inspirational thoughts with passersby. Click {here} to go there; I'll wait. It's part of Laura Lavigne's Happiness Sprinkling project and it's got our school's name all over it! My friend Laura has already offered her junior high choir students. Singers with Signs ... love it!

And speaking of signs, The Joy Team is putting out billboards with kind messages.  Have you seen this one?
It's quite a sign, don't ya think?


Wow ... imagine the infinite potential that 
your kindness equation could eventually net.

And while kindness knows no calendar, I think February is the perfect time to double, triple, even quadruple our 
intentional kindness efforts.

Why not start this week during National School Counseling Week,
 then keep going during Random Acts of Kindness Week.


  
Phew ... told ya it was kind of long ... here's to a SUPER weekend.




4 comments

  1. Love the post Barbara! I am taking a Brene Brown online class and one of the assignments was to write on our hand "I am imperfect and I am enough" and then take a selfie with our hand, so the picture of the billboard made me smile. Being kind seems to be much more difficult for some, being judgmental is much easier. We must share and model kindness because feeling joy is much better than feeling angry.
    Shawna
    The Picture Book Teacher's Edition

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  2. Love the quote. I will be sharing it with my students this week. Have a KINDful weekend.

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  3. And YOU are so kind to share all of this with us!! AND cheer us on! Thanks!

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  4. Thanks so much for sharing such great resources. Yours is the blog I glance at because the heading intrigues me and then I can't help but take to my school and my classroom to change my life. And I mean that -- the little things I pick up in your blog never fail to help me make little changes in my teaching and in my day-to-day. We started a kindness campaign in my class right before Christmas, thanks to you! I always appreciate your posts. Can't wait to see more about RAK week!

    Liz
    http://knowbetterteachbetter.blogspot.com/

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I really enjoy hearing from my readers; thanks for sharing your reflections with us!