It is in giving that we receive

"I hate that saying."

That was the response when I tried to explain why I would let someone out of a side street during the drive to school.

It all started when I had to stop, before taking a turn, for on coming traffic. We were stopped, dead -- when a bus pulled up on the cross street. I waved them on ahead of us.

"Why did you do that?" came from the backseat.

"Because it was nice to do. Because you don't know how a nice act that you do will impact the world."

"You don't know them. Nothing good will come from letting them go."

I replied, "Letting them out in this traffic might be the turning point of their day. You don't know."

"Nothing comes from it," was the adamant response.

To which I replied, "It is in giving that we receive, and I can't wait for you to realize that."

And from that... the focus of this blog entry -- "I hate that saying..."

I have talked and talked and talked about how we all have two choices: 1. to only be happy for ourselves, or 2. to be happy when those around us are happy as well as when we happen to be happy. This whole kindness thing follows the same line of thought. If we hold tight to our chest all that is ours, and offer no acts of kindness, then little by little all that we have falls from our hands. Leaving us with nothing.

But if we open our hands to give to others, soon our hands are overflowing with more than we can ever give.

With the world's focus on immediate gratification, this hands open philosophy is being lost, and soon sad and alone we will all have nothing.

Open your hands. Maybe your act of kindness is all it will take to shift the balance, and change the world.