World Kindness Day
World Kindness Day, a product of the World Kindness Movement, is celebrated all over the globe on November 13.
The purpose of World Kindness Day is to highlight the importance of random acts of kindness and the chain of paying it forward.
It encourages people to be kind to each other and thus spread kindness in their communities since it has been proven that when we witness people doing something kind, we are more likely to do something nice for others ourselves.
World Kindness Day Background
World Kindness Day was established in 1998 by a coalition of NGOs from various countries, known as the World Kindness Movement. Their goal for the creation of this day was to "highlight good deeds in the community by focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us all.”
Although World Kindness Day is observed all around the world, it is still an unofficial holiday, waiting to be recognized by the United Nations.
The World Kindness Movement was founded in 1997 at a Tokyo convention. It was attended by several NGOs from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The convention consisted of organizations whose purpose was to spread kindness in society.
The established coalition that was to become the World Kindness Movement pledged to build a kinder world together. The organization registered as an official NGO in 2019.
By encouraging people to perform random acts of kindness, a chain begins to form, where people witness others be kind to people and decide to perform kind acts themselves. It also reminds us that even by performing one small act of kindness, we have the power to seriously impact someone else's life. If someone is having a bad day, even a smile or a kind word from a stranger might make them feel better. By always striving to be kind to others, we are helping make the world a better, and happier place.
"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you."
-Princess Diana
How to Celebrate World Kindness Day
The best way to celebrate this day is by performing little acts of kindness throughout the day and trying to keep it up in your day-to-day life.
- Being kind is an easy thing to do. It can be something as small as complimenting people. Tell your friends, family, and coworkers something nice about their outfits, their hair, or their personality. It is a sure way to make someone instantly feel good.
- If you see someone struggling or having a hard time with something, such as carrying their groceries, stranded on the side of the road, or dropping something on the floor, take some time off your day to give them a hand. You are sure to inspire them to do the same for someone else.
- Some people choose to wear a cardigan during World Kindness Day, in honor of one of America's biggest symbols of kindness, Mr. Rogers.
Take a look around you on this day and you will notice that there are endless possibilities to be kind to others every day. Try to do as many acts of kindness as you can!
Kind Acts That Changed The World
Gail Halvorsen: The Candy Bomber's Legacy
Colonel Gail Halvorsen was a Command Pilot in the United States Air Force. In 1948, when Moscow cut the routes to Berlin, President Harry S. Truman ordered the American Air Force to airlift supplies to its citizens. Col. Halvorsen was one of the Pilots who was involved in this mission. His heart was filled with sadness when he saw poor children share the two sticks of gum, he had offered, among themselves.
He promised to gift them more candies on his next trip and he was true to his words. He tied three packages, filled with candies, to parachutes made of handkerchiefs and dropped them from his plane. His kind act inspired countless Americans who volunteered and donated sweets for the kids.
Teenager Bridges Generation Gap with Kindness
It is not always necessary to do something extraordinary for it to be considered an act of kindness. In 2017, Mahri Smith, an 18-year-old girl, was out partying with her friends in Ottawa, Canada. While they were clicking pictures in the bathroom, an old lady appeared who complimented them and even offered to take their pictures. She reminisced the old times when she would hang out with her own friends.
Mahri was so touched that she chatted with her for a long while and offered to join them in their outing. Her post on X, formerly Twitter, received a lot of love and appreciation.
Winnie Blagden's Remarkable 100th Birthday Celebration
Everyone deserves to feel special on their birthday. Winnie Blagden, a resident of England, was about to turn 100 on May 31, 2015. As a widow without any immediate family, there were no plans for a grand celebration. However, her devoted caretaker was determined to make this milestone extraordinary. He reached out to the local BBC Radio in Sheffield to create a day she would never forget.
As a result, Winnie Blagden ended up with a heartfelt and grand celebration where people from all over the globe ended up participating.16,000 birthday cards from random strangers, cards from her friends she had lost contact with, and even a congratulatory message from the Queen overwhelmed and filled the heart of Winnie Blagden with joy.
Best Friends Donate Million Dollars Won in Lottery
What will you do if you win a million dollars in the lottery? This is a question that we must have been asked at least once in our life. Best friends JoAnn MacQueen and Marlisa Mercer decided to give back to their community in Orillia, Ontario when they encountered a similar situation.
The friends donated a considerable chunk of money to local organizations that help citizens with lower incomes, shelter animals, assist veterans and so on. Their kindness had impacted and influenced a lot of people.
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