Showing kindness to others is something I have grown to find a necessity. Seeing others smile is important to me, and I don't stop helping if I have something to offer.
Though sometimes, when we look at what we have, there is a feeling of discouragement to assist another who is in great need of help. We don't need to have so much to help, and it doesn't have to be materialistic for us to see it as being kind. In whatever form it is, making another who is in a bad state feel better is kindness. For me, no matter how little, I always like seeing others smile through my best efforts.
I usually tell people who claim they can't show kindness that they have a lot to give. The same people who see an act of kindness as something measured by what one can offer will never offer, even when they have enough, because they will always want more.
Being a classroom teacher, I have met and seen a lot on a daily basis. Some days, we have pupils who aren't privileged to come to school with lunch boxes, and they are either left watching others or carrying hungry faces. This always touches my heart whenever I look at them and see how desirous they are of being in the shoes of those with lunch. Sometimes, it can be just one person out of the whole class; you can imagine how that would be.
Since the school has a canteen and I usually have some extra cash in my bag, giving them a little for snacks is a way for me to make them feel less alone. There was this particular boy; you would hardly notice when he wasn't with lunch, as you wouldn't see any sign of a grumbling stomach on his face.
One particular day was different; he kept saying he wanted to go home, and that was unlike him. It was his first time using such words, and I knew something must be wrong. When everyone left the class during break for the playground, he remained, his head bent with his book on his lap.
I felt compelled to call his name and beckoned him to come to my table. He came, and I asked him why he wanted to go home. He told me he didn't eat in the morning and didn't bring any snacks. I had some change in my bag, so I asked if he would use it to get some snacks for himself and his brother. He was happy and appreciated me. Happily, he took the money and went for snacks. Later, his father informed me about my action. He appreciated it and brought out some money to refund me, but I told him I didn't do it because I wanted a refund but just for my pupils to feel loved and happy.
This act of kindness came in many different forms. I didn't even know these pupils were noticing everything and how I used to quench their hunger whenever they didn't bring snacks.
It was during the last party that the pupils shared their heart-to-heart talk session with the proprietor. I was shocked when he called me into the office and expressed how much the students valued my kindness. My little way of showing kindness to others does not end in school alone but also extends to others.
I do get a bit scared of being kind to people I see on the road because of stories I have heard about many of them abusing the kindness shown, either by using the money for rituals or other troubling purposes. This has made me stop offering monetary help to people I don't trust. Instead, I use the money to get something edible if the person is okay with that or to assist in paying a fare when it involves monetary value.
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