About Kindness

This Is So Extremely Valuable

I don't get impressed by many things anymore—but kindness will always bring tears to my eyes.

Even the smallest act of genuine kindness can make me emotional.

I find myself crying over videos of someone feeding a sick animal, strangers stepping in to help each other, people offering support when it's least expected. It happens in a split second. I don't even have time to think before my eyes fill with tears.

I've often wondered why.

Maybe it's because I know how difficult and, at times, heartbreaking this world can be. We have become so used to cruelty, indifference, and people looking the other way that even the smallest act of compassion feels extraordinary. It makes me sad because kindness has become so rare, but it also makes me incredibly hopeful because it reminds me that it still exists.

When exactly did we stop going the extra mile for strangers?

When did we decide it wasn't necessary?

Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal to us. But for the person receiving that kindness, it might be the only act of compassion they've experienced in weeks—or even longer. We rarely realize how much a small gesture can mean to someone else.

Last week, I ordered raw cat food for Chico and Pearl because I had heard it might be healthier. There's no strong evidence that it's better, but it made sense to me at the time, so I wanted to try it.

They absolutely hated it.

Not one bite. Not one lick. Even with Churu mixed in, they refused it completely.

That left me with six pounds of unopened raw cat food, so I decided to give it away on Facebook Marketplace.

Several people reached out, and I chose one woman. We exchanged a few messages and arranged a time to meet.

But as I was getting everything ready, I kept thinking: if I'm giving away frozen raw food in the middle of July, I should make sure it stays frozen until she gets home. Giving should be thoughtful.

So I found an insulated bag I normally use for picnics, filled it with ice packs, carefully packed the frozen food, and even placed the opened package—sealed inside an airtight food container—so everything would stay safe and clean.

When we met, she was so genuinely happy.

She was an older Japanese woman, and she felt terrible that she couldn't give me anything in return. She walked back to her car and came back with a Japanese cake as a gift.

That simple exchange made my entire day.

Neither of us was trying to gain anything.

We were simply trying to be kind to each other.

And somehow, both of us walked away happier than when we arrived.

That's when I realized how much we need more moments like these.

We should treat each other with genuine kindness—not because we expect something back, not because it benefits us, but simply because another human being deserves it.

Kindness costs so little, yet it can completely change someone's day.

Maybe even their life.

One of my favorite quotes by the Dalai Lama says:

"The planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kinds."

I couldn't agree more.

With love,

Semiha