<p>I was five years old when I learnt how to cross a road. My father taught me to look to the left, then to the right and back to the left. That was in a quiet <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/english">English</a> village, several decades ago, and I only had to watch out for friendly cyclists who moved at a leisurely pace.</p>.<p>My early training is not much use when I confront a busy street on my daily walks. I turn left and right repeatedly, like a Thanjavur thalaiyatti bommai (head-shaking doll), but the onrush of traffic continues unabated and vehicles do not slow down.</p>.<p>One evening, I was pleasantly surprised when a two-wheeler stopped, and the rider signalled to me to step off the sidewalk. An auto-rickshaw driver tried to race forward, but the young man on the bike imperiously held up his hand. I crossed over comfortably, pausing to thank my benefactor.</p>.<p>I am reminded of a rhyme by 19th-century American educator and author, Julia Carney. In her student days, she wrote: “Little drops of water/ Little grains of sand/ Make the mighty ocean/ And the pleasant land.” This verse proved so popular that she later added three stanzas, emphasising that something small could be significant. Her poem concludes with this affirmation: “Little deeds of kindness/ Little words of love/ Make our earth happy/ Like the Heaven above.”</p>.When office excuses went viral.<p>We may find it hard to see how a “little” kindness can cure the considerable chaos that plagues our planet. However, before we dismiss Julia Carney’s lines as overly optimistic, we should bear in mind that there are others who subscribe to this seemingly simplistic view. “How do we change the world?” asks actor Morgan Freeman rhetorically; his response: “One random act of kindness at a time.” </p>.<p>The value of kindness must not be underestimated. We should constantly recall the occasions when people have shown us care and consideration, <br>often when it was most needed and least expected.</p>.<p>Whether or not we believe that kindness can heal the heartache of our war-weary world, it is certainly a virtue with remedial powers. Holistic health expert, Amy Leigh Mercree, declares: “Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light.” Kindness is not small at all!</p>
<p>I was five years old when I learnt how to cross a road. My father taught me to look to the left, then to the right and back to the left. That was in a quiet <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/english">English</a> village, several decades ago, and I only had to watch out for friendly cyclists who moved at a leisurely pace.</p>.<p>My early training is not much use when I confront a busy street on my daily walks. I turn left and right repeatedly, like a Thanjavur thalaiyatti bommai (head-shaking doll), but the onrush of traffic continues unabated and vehicles do not slow down.</p>.<p>One evening, I was pleasantly surprised when a two-wheeler stopped, and the rider signalled to me to step off the sidewalk. An auto-rickshaw driver tried to race forward, but the young man on the bike imperiously held up his hand. I crossed over comfortably, pausing to thank my benefactor.</p>.<p>I am reminded of a rhyme by 19th-century American educator and author, Julia Carney. In her student days, she wrote: “Little drops of water/ Little grains of sand/ Make the mighty ocean/ And the pleasant land.” This verse proved so popular that she later added three stanzas, emphasising that something small could be significant. Her poem concludes with this affirmation: “Little deeds of kindness/ Little words of love/ Make our earth happy/ Like the Heaven above.”</p>.When office excuses went viral.<p>We may find it hard to see how a “little” kindness can cure the considerable chaos that plagues our planet. However, before we dismiss Julia Carney’s lines as overly optimistic, we should bear in mind that there are others who subscribe to this seemingly simplistic view. “How do we change the world?” asks actor Morgan Freeman rhetorically; his response: “One random act of kindness at a time.” </p>.<p>The value of kindness must not be underestimated. We should constantly recall the occasions when people have shown us care and consideration, <br>often when it was most needed and least expected.</p>.<p>Whether or not we believe that kindness can heal the heartache of our war-weary world, it is certainly a virtue with remedial powers. Holistic health expert, Amy Leigh Mercree, declares: “Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light.” Kindness is not small at all!</p>
