Kindness Begets Kindness | Fort Bend Focus Magazine

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher

A ginormous and unexpected act of amazing kindness that left me giddy: Being gifted a signed Colt McCoy jersey from a dear friend. Thank you Andy!

I truly believe kindness begets kindness. If you come into a situation hot, you’re going get burned. But, if you approach the same situation – regardless of the issue – with kindness, you’ll likely get kindness returned.

Now there are those circumstances where this logic simply does not apply, and folks come back at you showing all of their ugliness. And “ugliness” is indeed a replacement word for what I really want to say. That word begins with an “a” and is three letters long using only two letters. It’s another word for mules, and it’s in the Bible, so as I taught my babies, if it’s in scripture, you can say it.

Now the Bible says an ass is an unclean animal, because it does not chew the cud. I have absolutely no idea why cud-chewing makes you clean, because cud-chewing critters are ruminants, meaning that the food they eat returns from their stomach back to their mouth for a second chew. I’m guessing the Lord appreciates thoroughness. I get that. Cows, deer, sheep are ruminants; asses are not. Well, He is my shepherd – that makes sense. I’m not one to question the Lord, so I will stick with His logic regarding asses.

There are also those circumstances, rare as they may be, when unexpected kindness blesses you. Those are the best acts of good deeds as they take you by surprise – in the best way possible. They are little things, but they truly mean so much: an offer of help when you need it most, yet wouldn’t dream of asking for it; a note sent of love, value and encouragement; pulling up to a drive thru window to pay only to be informed that the car ahead of you paid for your meal.

It doesn’t take much to incorporate kindness into your mindset and routine. But it does take awareness – awareness of just how much you can make a difference with so little effort.

I am blessed to be the recipient of what I deem are ginormous acts of kindness. In reality, they are likely routine or seemingly small deeds, but to me, they are everything, and I make an effort to not only be aware and thankful, but to reciprocate as often as possible. Some folks say that is the very definition of karma. I believe it’s the state of being blessed and sharing blessings.

As self-appointed president of the Professional Porch Sitters Union 281, I’ve developed some guidelines for our porch-sittin’ folks. One simply states: “All are welcome. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, identity, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or military status, unless you do not appreciate our military, because we do.”

Inclusiveness, appreciation, welcoming. That’s my definition of kindness. See y’all next week as all are welcome – on the porch!

Patti Parish-Kaminski