“As the world fights to figure everything out,

I’ll be holding doors for strangers,

letting people cut in front of me in traffic,

Saying good morning,

keeping babies entertained in grocery lines,

stopping to talk to someone who is lonely,

being patient with sales clerks,

smiling at passersby.

Why?

Because I will not stand idly by and

live in a world where love is invisible.

Join me in showing kindness,

understanding and judging less.

Be kind to a stranger,

give grace to friends who are having a bad day,

be forgiving of yourself – today and every day.

Be the change, be the light,

start today and never stop.

– unknown

I love this! It reminds me of a conversation I had with one of our religious Sisters not long ago. She told me that “our presence is never neutral.” She observed that even when we simply walk by someone, our presence matters. Just being who we are matters. She asked me to consider the difference between someone who smiles and says hello and someone who avoids eye contact and doesn’t acknowledge you. In either case, those ten seconds are not neutral. One has the ability to spread warmth and kindness, the other fosters indifference.

I’ve thought about that conversation a lot since then – especially when I go for walks in the park. I try very hard to greet each person I meet along the path – even if it’s just a smile. I have to say that I’ve discovered she is right. It doesn’t seem like much, but somehow it feels like we have the ability to send just a little bit of good into the world and make love visible.