Nov. 10 - Just Ducky

Day 313 of a year of kindness

My friend Sharon Arnold Dixon flew in from Texas this week to support kindness initiatives at the Roots of Compassion and Kindness Center at Florida Gulf Coast University. She’s a passionate advocate for kindness and has been incredibly supportive of me and my kindness work. She heads back to Texas tomorrow, so a few of us gathered for a farewell dinner. 

She generously and kindly paid for dinner - even though the dinner was in her honor. We were very appreciative. Before we left, I gave our server a tiny rubber duck that I got from my son’s cocktail the night before. She lit up. She loved it almost as much as we enjoyed our dinner and good company.

Science of Kindness: Giving activates the brain’s reward system: Acts of generosity stimulate the ventral striatum and medial prefrontal cortex, releasing dopamine and oxytocin - neurochemicals associated with pleasure, trust, and connection. Receiving kindness also lights up reward pathways: When someone receives a gift or thoughtful gesture, their brain responds with a “warm glow,” reinforcing feelings of gratitude and belonging. BeKind #KindnessCounts #KindnessCounts2025 #kindness #rootsofcompassionandkindness