One of my best friends, Sharona says every night before she goes to sleep, she asks herself “Have I been kind today?” Then she reviews her day. What a beautiful spiritual practice reflecting one of her deeply held values. I also think kindness is very important. I think about what the world would be like if everyone were kind to one another. It is very important to me to be kind in my interactions with all people and with nature. Sometimes this practice involves saying a kind word to a clerk or a thank to someone who holds the door for me. Sometimes it involves smiling at a homeless person. Sometimes it means I reach out to see how a friend or a family member is. Is it being kind to water my garden, I wonder? The person I’m not always kind to is myself. What would it look like to be kind to myself, I wonder? Would I buy organic produce? Would I do things I know make me stronger and healthier? In the last four months of paid ministry at Arlington Church, I don’t think I’ve always been kind to myself. Ministry is such a sedentary and all consuming job, my fitness has just gone away as I have let my walks go by the wayside. Is it selfish to do things just for me? I somehow got that idea as a child and have most always put my own wants and needs last. Being kind to myself is doing things that nurture my body, soul and spirit. It’s time to pay attention and be kind to myself.
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