April is, apparently, now deemed Kindness Month and thus the Singapore Kindness Movement was launched today, the first weekend day of the month.  If nothing else, just being at event about kindness really makes you much more aware of it.  I definitely was much more conscious of how my actions could be interpreted and affect others.  I made sure I walked around with a soft expression on my face, if not an outright smile.  I made sure I was courteous to others, saying sorry if I bumped into them and thank you when they were nice to me.  I even asked for some napkins to help clean off some chairs that had gotten stuff on them and made sure the people sitting in them were aware of the gooey drips of cotton candy that had gotten stuck on their seats before they sat down and dirtied their pants.

I was also much more aware of how the people around me were or were not polite to each other.  We all glanced over to hush these old women in the row behind us when they showed up late and loudly greeted their friends as the minister present was giving a speech.  I sighed when the children in the surrounding area were screaming and shouting in the background, oblivious to the racket they were causing those trying to listen to the speeches.  I noted the celebrity there, who graciously and patiently signed autographs for, took pictures with, and chit-chatted and joked with his fans, young and old.

Sometimes it seems that these types of campaigns are worth it if only to bring light to a problem.  I don’t think it is that human nature is bad at all; I think it is just that we just need gentle reminders of things as we get overwhelmed with the details of life.  Or, sometimes is it just the ignorance and lack of exposure we get to certain issues.  After all, we can’t all know about and be experts at everything.  So, every now and then we just need to be informed and other times we just need to be reminded.  Plus, we can get people to look at an old issue a new way and give them the support and encouragement they need to go do something about it.  And that is exactly what this month is all about – reminding everyone how a little positive gesture can go so far, showing them things they may not have considered to be outright kindness before, and encouraging them to go forth and spread the joy.

So go!  Be a nice person, hold a door open, say thank you, smile.  Be humble, be grateful, be KIND!