The definition of kindness according to Oxford Dictionary is “the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.” Being kind is a simple, selfless and meaningful thing to be. A small act of kindness can go a long way for someone. Everyone has their own problems that they deal with each day and someone smiling at them, just for a second, can brighten their day. 

  Expressing kindness is such an easy thing to do. Kindness can be shown in many different ways, such as giving a compliment or helping someone. It can make someone’s day better. Being kind is never wasted because it always means something to someone. 

  Showing kindness is simple, but it makes life extremely better. I struggle with anxiety, so I stress over the smallest things daily. I got sick for about three weeks and my work kept piling up. As anyone could imagine, I didn’t feel very up to the work for a while. When I finally felt better, the assignments became overwhelming that I had no idea where to start and my grades discouraged me from continuing. My friend sat with me until I could find where to start and she stayed until I finished most of the work. She sat there and helped me through all of it. My grades slowly started to get back to normal and I felt an enormous burden disappear. I was very appreciative toward her because I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to finish all the work. 

  When kindness is shown, it tends to spread. Someone can show kindness and that person can show it to another. It starts to create a chain reaction and it brings more light into our world. No one ever really knows what is happening to someone behind closed doors, so just one act of random kindness can make a person’s day. 

  Random acts of kindness are a nice thing to do everyday. This can include holding the door open or paying for the meal behind in line. They don’t take much time, but it can mean a lot to a person. 

  I believe that the happiest people are also the nicest because they show kindness. People are struggling everyday, so I try to be thoughtful whenever I have the opportunity to be. The feeling of knowing that I can make someone smile and change their day by one simple act of kindness makes my day better.  

  Another example of kindness is my experience in math class, when a girl had to step out of the room for a while. When she had come back she already missed the notes portion of class, so I lent her my notes. She copied them down and started the worksheet for it. I had already finished my work but could tell that she was struggling with the first few questions. It didn’t take much effort to explain the notes to her a little more, so I did. She thanked me and told me that she had some things going on and really appreciated my help. It made me feel good to know that I could help her even though it wasn’t much. 

  This goes to show that the smallest acts of kindness can have an impact on someone’s day. February 17th is random acts of kindness day, so we challenge you to not just be kind on that day but everyday.