What Keeps Us Afloat
When my husband and I moved overseas for two years, we were briefed on what the process of adjusting to a new country would look like. We knew to expect the emotional descent that would occur in this process, which on a graph looks like a short upward curve (the honeymoon phase where everything is new and exciting) that drops steeply into frustration and discontentment before slowly climbing back up again into security.
Even with knowing it was coming, it was still rough when we hit that lowest point about six months in. But especially during this time, I was reminded just how much of a difference a small act of kindness could make. Something as simple as getting a card in the mail from family back home was not just a nice little sentiment. It was a lifeline tethering us to hope.
Kindness is not just a nice add-on to our lives. I’ve come to view it as essential — like our other needs of food, water, sleep. Giving it and receiving it — like breathing in and breathing out.
We hope the stories of kindness in this issue will encourage you. Meet people who are making a difference for kids in our city (p.12, 16). Find ways to share, whether it’s a tasty treat (p.28, 58), your home and creativity (p.34), or plants from your landscaping (p.46). And remember to be kind to yourself by taking care of your mind (p.22).
Throw somebody a lifeline of kindness today. — Jessica Alyea
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