Kindness Is Free; Freedom Is Not

Happy Veterans Day 2017.

I woke up this morning thinking about Ray Joseph.
He was one of my students years ago when I worked at Clear Creek High School; he was away at college when 9/11 happened. Shortly after that attack, Ray Joseph got the "call" to service as he reflected on the plight of the children in Iraq. 
He told his parents he could come home and do college later.


Ray Joseph lost his life fighting in Iraq to keep us safe and free.

So when I was invited to moderate a Twitter chat this morning,
I chose the topics of service and sacrifice, gratitude and grace.
It was a riveting discussion and idea swap; 
click {here} to thumb through the transcript.

On Monday, we'll celebrate World Kindness Day.

It is a day set aside for people to set aside their differences from one another and just be kind. There are so many ways that we can be kind and we know we don't need a special day to lavish people with kindness. It can be as simple as smiling to someone on the street, holding the door opened and greeting someone as they enter the room, or sending a bouquet of flowers to an old friend, just because.

To help you get inspired and spark a brainstorm session about how you can be kind on this World Kindness Day, our friends at FTD have rounded up 30 kindness quotes to encourage you to spread the love.

Look at this beautiful bouquet of insight and wisdom 
they kindly shared with us. 












May we always remember
that kindness is always in style,
it knows no calendar,
and it costs nothing.

Click image for source.
And may we never forget that 
our freedom is not free.

Click image for my post at Prosigndesignco.com about service and gratitude.
When you see a Veteran or a serviceman or woman in uniform,
stop what you're doing and extend your hand,
look them in the eyes, and express your gratitude.
You'll both be glad you did.

Let's make every day Veterans Day.






















2 comments

  1. It is with a grateful heart that I thank all of the veterans and those currently serving our country. As a family tonight, we watched "Taking Chance" in honor of Veteran's Day. Very moving.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Veteran’s Day is always a day of mixed emotion for me as it’s the same day my beloved grandmother passed away. Visiting a cemetery on Veteran’s Day is humbling indeed, to see the small American flags stuck in the ground, a visual reminder of the “why.” One of my dear classmates, John Robert Teal, was killed in Iraq in 2003; the road I take to the cemetery is now named for him. Upon his passing, I wrote a letter to his family, sharing a few of my childhood memories, letting them know his impact on my life. They wrote back with such kind words; even in the midst of sweet sorrow, sparks of joy and appreciation rise above. Thank you for your post and for moderating #LeadLAP on Saturday!

    ReplyDelete

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