March 1 - Apologized

Day 60 of a year of Kindness

I said I was sorry.Last year, I took some time off and walked the Camino Santiago with a high school bestie. At one point, we met Yuliia, a 27-year-old woman from Ukraine. On the day we met her, she had blisters that caused her a lot of pain. We walked with her for four hours to make sure she got to her guest house safely. While we walked, she shared that her town had been blown up three weeks earlier. Her husband had left to join the army. She needed to walk and clear her head. When I told her that we always prayed for Ukraine, she began to cry. This was a young woman, near the age of our daughters, suffering in a way we could not comprehend. 

Afterwards, I lit a candle for Ukraine at every cathedral I visited.I texted Yuliia today to say I was sorry that the president of my country treated her president with such contempt. I was sorry that he showed no kindness, understanding or empathy about her country’s suffering. She responded that she sees more dark times ahead. I will continue to light candles for Ukraine.

Science of kindness: Research shows that kindness can change the world for good. My effort to do something kind every day is a form of resistance to fight the “dark times” with one tiny match. My apology to Yuliia served to let her know she was not alone. I light my tiny match every day hoping that others will do the same. The darkness could be erased by tiny matches turning into a beautiful blaze.#istandwithukraine #kindness #kindnessiscontagious @10kindnessclub