5 minute read
Kindness Matters
ANGEL THERAPY by Maureen Mann
Advertisement
People need to understand the importance of kindness not only as a practice, but as a way to claim and identify with their divinity. Rachel Scott was a beautiful young girl who embodied this truth. Tell them her story. Tell them of how she sacrificed herself at the hands of disgruntled and pain-filled young men to speak on behalf of love and tolerance. Her life was not in vain. She is not accessible to you right now, but she is present; she is present in the acts of kindness which reverberate through the world, inspired by those who knew of her and the power of chain reactions of kindness.
I am being shown Rachel glowing in light, dispatched from the heavens to places on earth where there is darkness. During her life, Rachel sought to bridge understanding and connection. She knew, as do many, that students who were new to school and had special needs often felt isolated and were more likely to be targets of bullying. Unlike many her age, she challenged those who were the aggressors and comforted those who were victims. She did so with deep conviction and faith in the importance of kindness.
In addition to being empathic, Rachel was highly intuitive. She would speak with matter of fact certainty that she would die young and once shared with one of her teachers a prophetic image which depicted her passing, which was to occur days later.
On April 20, 1999 Rachel sat outside with her friends eating lunch at Columbine High School. Two of her peers approached her, dressed in trench coats and brandishing weapons. They asked her, mockingly, if she still had faith. Her response was, “You know I do.” Their response was to end her life. Her brother Craig heard the gunshots from the library of the school, where he was studying with his friends. Minutes later, his friends would be killed as well. Due to the shooter’s gun jamming, Craig’s life was spared.
He and his family members inspired to make meaning of Rachel’s passing and created Rachel’s Challenge. The program’s purpose is to educate people on the effects of disconnection and to inspire acts of kindness. To this day, the program has impacted hundreds of thousands of lives.
Columbine impacted me deeply, as has Rachel’s Challenge. The week Rachel died I learned I was pregnant with my first child. I recall being glued to news outlets trying to comprehend how such a tragedy could occur. I was also acutely aware this was the world into which I would be bringing my daughter. Years later, when I worked for my local school district, I brought the Rachel’s Challenge program to both the high school and elementary school. Witnessing the impact of the program on the students and faculty left a deep imprint of fulfillment and gratitude on my heart. Rachel was a beautiful soul who truly grasped the importance of embodying kindness. I am so grateful to her for what she has taught me and to her family for continuing her legacy through such an impactful program.
When delivering the curriculum to high school and elementary students, I learned a great deal about what kindness means to children. Since then, I have sought to embody their wisdom in my everyday life. At its core, kindness is having a generosity of spirit. At times that is revealed by conducting a small act of service like smiling, noticing what someone is struggling with and easing their burden, offering a compliment, or sending a text that simply says: “Thinking of you.” Other times it is willing to simply be present without judgment, to hold space for someone with full attention, to walk away from gossip, or to stand back and let someone make their own choices without commentary.
I have a print in my home which reads “No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted”, credited to Aesop. I find on the days I need that reminder my eyes are drawn to it. Reading the words always fills me with a rush of hope and purpose, knowing that everything I do matters. Everything done with love contributes to the healing of our world. It is both a powerful and humbling feeling; realizing we have opportunities every moment of every day to choose to do what is kind. Our choices will directly impact not only the person with whom we are interacting, but also those who receive the reverberating energy of the choice.
The song “Hands” by Jewell is associated with the Rachel’s Challenge program. It speaks to having an awareness of our words and choices on children and adults. I encourage you to learn more about Rachel, and to listen to the song. https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=AfsS3pIDBfw
If we are filled with love, we cannot be broken. We are divine beings. We are love and kindness at our core.
Hands by Jewell
If I could tell the world just one thing It would be that we’re all ok And not to worry because worry is wasteful And useless in times like these I will not be made useless I won’t be idled with despair I will gather myself around my faith For light does the darkness most fear
My hands are small, I know, But they’re not yours they are my own But they’re not yours they are my own And I am never broken
Poverty stole your golden shoes But it didn’t steal your laughter And heartache came to visit me But I knew it wasn’t ever after We will fight, not out of spite For someone must stand up for what’s right ‘Cause where there’s a man who has no voice There ours shall go singing
My hands are small, I know, But they’re not yours they are my own But they’re not yours they are my own And I am never broken
In the end only kindness matters In the end only kndness matters I will get down on my knees
Take care,
Maureen
Maureen Mann Private practice specialties include navigating life transitions; stress management; and developing a spiritual practice to support a healthy and fulfilling life. AAP, EMP, LICSW, RMT K maureenmann.com | fb: Angel Therapy with Maureen Mann | fb: maureenmannlicsw
