DG Kevin's December Message

Posted by Kevin Crosby 
 

KINDNESS IS A BRIDGE BETWEEN ALL PEOPLE

My favorite TV show is “CBS Sunday Morning” and my favorite reporter is Steve Hartman.  He does human-interest stories, including the one on “The Butterfly Effect” which I’ve used in some of my presentations in Rotary.  On 12/13/15, he did a story about a “Secret Santa” in Pittsburgh who hands out money to strangers every year.  I encourage you to go to this link and watch the story: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/secret-santa-hands-out-the-green-2/.
 
The Secret Santa says, “Kindness is the bridge between all people.”  I’m pretty sure that kindness is at the heart of Rotary.  Whether we’re doing service projects to help those in need in our local community or supporting international humanitarian projects to improve the health, security or quality of life for our global neighbors, we are performing acts of kindness for the benefit of strangers.  As Rotarians, we understand that this is how we build those bridges that connect us with others and provide a path to mutual respect and peaceful co-existence.
 
If you watch Steve Hartman’s story about the Secret Santa, you may feel a tear in your eye or a lump in your throat as you observe the effects of these “random acts of kindness.”   The joy and appreciation of the recipients is very moving.  But, I have to believe that the biggest smile of all is on the face of the person performing these acts of kindness.
 
I think this is the secret of “Being a Gift to the World.”  By being a gift to others, including strangers we may never meet, we are also giving a gift to ourselves – the satisfaction of knowing that, by helping others, we are building the bridge to a more peaceful world.  In today’s environment of conflict, terrorism, fear, and suspicion of those who have different beliefs, the world needs our acts of kindness more than ever.