Oct. 24 - Life Lessons

Day 296 of a year of kindness

I could never have predicted today’s kindness. When I was 12 and 13, my parents sent me to summer camp in Maine - eight weeks each time.As it turns out, my old camp was only 20 minutes from where my friend Julie and I were staying. So, I dropped Julie off at her workshop, turned up the summer hits of the 1970s on the radio, and drove to Camp Wohelo.It looked exactly the same - and there wasn’t a soul in sight. It was like all the time in the world had passed and no time had passed at all.

I learned so many valuable lessons at that camp. But as I walked down to the beach, one stood out. During my first summer, we had to pass a swim and dive test. I passed the swim test and then needed to pass the diving test. So, I got in line and took my turn to get my dive approved. I would leap from the diving board, pop up out of the water, expecting to pass, and the lifeguard would tell me to do it again. She failed me three times in a row. 

Finally, I went up to her and said, “You are passing a whole bunch of girls who are not doing it perfectly. Why aren’t you passing me?” 

She looked at me and said, “Because you can do it perfectly.” 

A few dives later - with legs straight and toes pointed - I did. I have always remembered her tough love lesson: Don’t give up until you have done your best.So, my kindness was that I reached into my backpack and pulled out a notebook and wrote the VanWinkles (who still own the camp!) an appreciative, thank you letter almost five decades later. I popped it in their camp mailbox and left with lots to think about.

Science of Kindness: Research reveals that expressing gratitude can significantly change the brain’s chemistry. It can also activate key brain regions associated with emotional regulation, motivation and empathy. #BeKind #KindnessCounts #KindnessCounts2025 #kindness #gratitude