August 13 - Ripple Effects

Day 224 of a year of Kindness

My brother Stuart Cline, ambassador #23, shares a karmic kindness.

In 2002, I was a counselor working at a Pueblo and my clients were Native American. It was a small Pueblo so I often worked with the entire family. During this time I was newly married and my son, Hunter, was born. I was also working with a 2-year-old boy in specialized play therapy. The mother of that child made my newborn son, Hunter, a bracelet with stones and coral that represented spiritual protection.

Many years ago, I left the Pueblo for private practice. Last year the little boy, who is now an adult, reached out to me. I remembered him and his mother's thoughtful gift to my son. I now meet with him every week to help him manage ADHD issues like meeting deadlines. I make him bracelets so he can easily remember techniques and topics we discussed that will help him to stay on tasks. 

They have words on them such as, “be here now” or “breathe.”The kindness his mother shared by giving my son a bracelet for protection is a kindness I get to give back to her son 21 years later. We never know how our kind acts will ripple out over the years and affect us or even our own children.

Science of Kindness: Science reveals that the effects of kindness extend far beyond the immediate moment. Science has shown that acts of kindness have profound psychological, physiological, and social benefits. More importantly, kindness is contagious—it spreads from person to person, creating a ripple effect that can transform communities and even societies. #kindness #kindnessmatters #kindnessisfree #karmickindness