Dec 14 - Community Kindness

Day 348 of a year of kindness

Today was a profoundly sad day. The shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island left me teary, and then news of another shooting in Australia deepened my sense of helplessness. As I write this, reports swirl that beloved director Rob Reiner and his wife may have been stabbed to death. It’s a lot to process—terrible, violent, overwhelming.

I’m at a writer’s retreat in Arkansas. My friend Dayna, also here, sent out an email inviting other writers over for chili tonight. I baked brownies. Someone else brought wine. When something terrible happens, gathering together in community helps me. We spent the evening trying to make sense of the world and sharing our own stories.

Sometimes during terrible tragedies, we may feel like kindness has vanished. So, we have to look harder for it, and create it ourselves—one brownie, one story, one chili gathering act at a time. We can’t dim our lights. Kindness is critical.

Science of Kindness: Kindness research shows that in moments of tragedy, small acts of care—like sharing food, gathering in community, and telling stories—are powerful tools for resilience. They reduce stress, restore a sense of belonging, and remind us that compassion persists even when violence dominates the headlines.#BeKind #KindnessCounts #KindnessCounts2025 #kindness #kindnesseffect #stopgunviolence