The Beauty of Thoughtful Love
There’s a special kind of kindness that doesn’t need an audience, the quiet, steadfast kind that simply says, I see you, and I care. My sister Suzi embodies that kind of love. She has a gift for noticing, for anticipating the little things I might need or want before I’ve even thought of them. I am so very grateful for my sister.
Every time I open one of her hand-painted cards, I can feel her heart in the brushstrokes, the time, the patience, the joy she pours into creating something just to make someone else smile. Suzi’s kindness doesn’t shout; it glows.
Kindness That Spans a Lifetime
When our parents were aging in Minnesota, Suzi and her husband, Chuck, were there, tending to the details that only love attends to. The small, invisible things that matter most: errands, doctor’s visits, comfort, companionship, reassurance, scrubbing the puppy when she got skunked.
I lived far away, in California, and though I called and visited when I could, they carried the day-to-day responsibilities with grace. Looking back, I realize that what they gave was far more than help, it was sacred service. They honored our parents with patience, humor, and tenderness. That, to me, is kindness at its purest.
Echoes of Kindness
Lately, I’ve been blessed to see that same spirit reflected in my daughter, Ali. She’s moved back home for a while, and she’s been quietly taking care of so many things around the house, things I didn’t even realize needed doing. Every act, small as it might seem, ripples outward.
Kindness, I’ve learned, is generational. It’s a pattern of love that gets passed down, almost like a family heirloom. My mother showed it. Suzi lives it. Ali is carrying it forward. And our granddaughter lives kindness too. The thread continues, weaving our family together through gestures of grace.
The Everyday Miracle of Caring
On World Kindness Day, I think of all the ways kindness changes the world, not through grand gestures, but through the ordinary acts that restore faith in humanity. A smile. A phone call. A card painted by hand.
We live in a world that can feel sharp and fast and loud. But kindness is soft power. It’s how Spirit moves quietly through us to touch the hearts of others. Every time we choose kindness, we remind someone, and ourselves, that love is still the strongest force there is.
A Sister’s Light
If kindness had a face, it would look like my sister’s, eyes twinkling, hands busy creating, laughter never far behind. She gives without keeping score, helps without hesitation, and loves without condition.
Suzi is proof that kindness doesn’t just change the receiver, it transforms the giver too. It keeps the heart supple, the spirit open, the soul young. And when I think of her, I’m reminded that every act of kindness, no matter how small, ripples outward more powerfully than we’ll ever know.
The Kindness I Can Offer
Today, I honor my sister by carrying her light forward, by noticing what others might need, by offering help before it’s asked for, by being a little more generous, a little more thoughtful.
Because kindness isn’t something we say,i t’s something we do. It’s love with sleeves rolled up.
Thank you, Suzi, for showing me that love in motion is the holiest kind of grace.