Kindness is considered to be one of the Knightly virtues, and is a recognized value in many cultures and religions. In the dictionary it is described as "the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic"

Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you - not because they are nice, but because you are.  ~Author Unknown

Kindness is not just action. Action on its own can come from many different motivations, and none of them compassionate. There’s a BIG difference between people giving to make themselves look good or out of obligation, and giving because you have compassion for those who need what you give.

Kindness is something you can be taught but genuine kindness stems from the heart, the soul. Whether it be opening a door, paying for someones order in a drive-thru, a simple smile and some friendly conversation, a simple gesture of kindness can warm even the coldest heart.

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.  ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

It saddens me when I try to remember the last time I saw someone display a random genuine act of kindness towards a stranger. Fear tends to cast shadows over contact with strangers. The media makes money by promoting fear, fear sells. It is time that we started listening to our own instincts and stopped listening to factors that are only concerned with profiting off of our insecurities. Your instinct is a very sharp tool. Trust in your instinct and you are not likely to be wrong.

It is time that we started to bring back the community spirit in our society, in this little town of Tehachapi. It is time to open your heart and your eyes to the things/people around you. Take a moment out of our day to do something positive for someone in the community whether it be a family member, a stranger, a neighbour. The impact of your kindness can be astonishing, amazing and breathtaking.

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Have you witnessed an act of kindness or been the recipient of such an act? Were you able to find a way to brighten someone Else's day? If so share it, not to receive credit for being 'such a good person' but to show others examples of simple ways to share compassion and kindness with the people around you.