gratitude

In my small town lived a woman. She was strange and kept to herself. I remember her almost daily. We, the kids, called her a witch. She was a mean old lady, and a strange feeling would pass over us when we walked past her house.

We were superstitious, of course, but now I know that we were the mean ones. She was just living her life, maybe not as we imagined it, but we judged her, and that stayed with me to this day. Maybe if we had more compassion, perhaps the woman wouldn’t be so alone and maybe, we would show her that humans can be kind instead.

Today, at the world’s gratitude day, remember the ones you’re judging and think are mean…maybe they just need a kind word or a compassionate hug. Maybe if we had kinder hearts, this world would be a better place. It starts with you!