Kindness does make a difference

I’ve always said I may not be wealthy in financial terms, but I certainly am rich in friendships, and this story proves it.

Three years ago, I was working for an entity that let me go suddenly and that did not pay into unemployment compensation. Despite the success I was having on the job, despite the long hours I had worked each week over and above what was required of my position (I did it for the love of my work), I was summarily dismissed following an early morning assignment of entertaining International journalists to our pilgrimage site. (I was never given a reason why either!)

I was one hundred miles away from home, having moved to a new state 11 months earlier to accept a new assignment. I was devastated because I truly loved what I was doing, and now I was penniless and homeless.

What got me through it was the kindness of others – and they were all new friends from other states whom I had met during the past 11 months. From notes of kindness about my work, to prayers, phone calls, to the two women who each brought me a bag of groceries and the two who had offered me shelter in their homes, and those who gave me (rather large sums of) money so I could eat and pay my bills.

I slowly I pulled myself up from my bootstraps. It took two years, but I was rewarded with the perfect job for my skills back home and one of the kindest bosses on the planet. I think that’s why I find it so important now to promote kindness – because I realize firsthand how important it really is. Kindness can make such a difference. Never doubt that! – Lois 🙂