Kindness goes a long way.

In the end, kindness is all that matters. Material things don't last. But kindness do. Even if we don't live here anymore our actions will still affect the people we leave behind. And somehow, it's how we would be remembered for.

Acts of kindness always touch me. They impress me so much that I weep when I hear stories of kindness. And those people who were kind to me, I always remember them.

I still remember how a classmate in second grade shared her food with me, dividing it evenly between us. I did not expect that she would do such thing. At that time, I had yet to learn what sharing is. It was the first time that I witnessed such unselfishness and from that day on, I considered her my best friend.

My mother told me that we can never repay kindness but we can always pass it on. I think this is best exemplified by the Liberty Mutual commercials on TV where someone witnesses an act of kindness from one person and does it to another. Soon everyone is being kind to one another and it becomes a cycle that everyone benefits from. Imagine if we are all to invest an act of kindness, what a world it would be.

There is the opposite of kindness such as self-centeredness, self-interest, greed, mine, and myself. It is not evil to take care of yourself, prosper, and gain material wealth. But to help, share, and give bring such joy and spiritual fulfillment. When we reach out to others, we become part of something larger than ourselves.

You are not doing an act of kindness when you are expecting something in return. You are merely doing a favor. Favors are returnable. Kindness doesn’t work that way. Favors are good but they don’t count. The best kind of kindness is one that is done in secrecy. Like being an anonymous giver. As they say, character is the thing you do when no one is looking.

There are many people who have been kind to me, in big and small ways. My mother who had made sacrifices so I could go to college; a stranger who gave up his seat for me in the bus, a classmate who helped me with math; a friend who had offered me her home during a vague period of my life; and a sister who has been kind to me in many occasions I had lost count. They are people that I consider pieces of me. They are all part of me and I would never be the way I am now if not for them.

As for my childhood best friend, I don’t where she is now or what had happened to her. As we got older and through our teenage years, we grew apart and went on to have different friends and interests. But up until now, I still remember her; I still give her credit as my childhood best friend. Like when I’m asked to choose a security question in my online account, I would choose, “Who is your childhood best friend?” and I would type her name. She had earned that, being the first person who showed me what kindness is all about.