An Heaven on earth is a society full of kindness
Have you ever imagined how our world would be if our society is filled with kindness? Can you just relate with your mind and see that almost all crimes and atrocities done in our society stems from lack of kindness. If there is any transformation our society need most; it is creating a kinder society. Sometimes kindness does not necessitate us to do things worthy of television report or news paper columns; little drop of water makes a mighty ocean. Little act of kindness on the individual scale might just be Holy Grail to achieving a kinder society. Though known to all, yet is despised by almost all. We need to imbibe the culture of kindness– love your neighbor as yourself if we are to create a kinder society. I do still remember of my primary school days, when kids of the age range of 4-10 years are given weekly assignment of showing an act of love to somebody around them. We kids at that time, even at that tender age did surprising action of kindness; the nature of kindness was subtlety instilled in us. Less than twenty decade later, this ideology and teaching have being abandoned in our schools. We need to go back to those days if we want a kinder society. Teaching kindness is an act of kindness on its own, so also is stopping cruelty. Permit me to share my little experience as a teacher in a remote part of the country under the Nigerian youth service scheme. The story revolves around one of my students whose poor educational background made him at a disadvantage to his colleague– a senior secondary school one student who cannot read and speak fluently. This shortcoming of his made him a subject of ridicule by his classmate and friend; I termed it cruelty at the lower hemisphere, because I found it absurd that children at such tender age would derive joy form the misfortune of their fellow. Even with a cursory look, it was evident that these kids lack the nature of kindness and needs to be instilled in them. From that time forth it became not only my duty to teach them chemistry but also to teach them kindness. I am happy to say today that the tide has changed; the people who were once teasing him are now the ones teaching him. Kindness is impacting life, impacting life is fulfillment, and fulfillment brings happiness. We find happiness in making others happy; we are kind to ourselves by been kind to others. By acting kindness, we create a kinder society and make the world a better place to live, and a better world means a better life for us all. Until we all embrace the life of kindness, we are nowhere near achieving a kinder society. Kindness is not only meant to be done by the crème de la crème or the wealthy of the society, it is a role that must be assumed by all. Kindness does not imply building a mansion for that fellow or giving out a million dollar, most suicides committed nowadays could have been averted by just a word of encouragement, by giving hope to that depressed soul. There is no small act of kindness, the result of a kind act might even never be known. There is a proverb in my tribe that says: “he that removes a thorn from the road has saved a life”. We might not value our act of kindness, until we see the consequences of not performing it. I never knew that I had saved a future; ignorant was I to the situation that was about to befall the boy until the parent of the young lad came to express their appreciation. The young lad was to be withdrawn from school for his extremely poor performance, save for my timely intervention– Just a little encouragement and coaching created the turnaround. Let this be a clarion call: the difference between Heaven and Hell is kindness; we can make a heaven out of our world, if we will embrace the culture of kindness.