A Lovely Reminder About Kindness

"Here's something I know to be true, although it's a little corny, and I don't quite know what to do with it:  What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness."
― George Saunders

A lovely friend of mine recently returned from vacation and brought me a very thoughtful gift ― George Saunders' book, "Congratulations, by the way ― Some Thoughts on Kindness."  Mr. Saunders is the writer, MacArthur Genius Award recipient and Syracuse University professor who made headlines last year after his commencement speech on kindness went viral.

I keep the small book in a place where I see it many times a day, next to a vase with my favorite flowers.  I turn it over to reread the quote about failures of kindness, which is printed on the back cover.  It makes me wonder what opportunities I am missing ― where perhaps I have not stretched far enough in the kindness department, nearly always because it's hard.  I love kindness when it's of the Hemingway "pretty to think so" variety, the kind that makes you feel better and doesn't cost you a whole lot emotionally.  Ah, but then there is the other kind ― kindness that is hard because it involves difficult people or complicated relationships.  And that is where I find it is easier to fail.  My hope is that this little jewel of a book will remind me to keep stretching.