One afternoon I woke from a nap with a thought: Let my last act on this earth be one of kindness.
I wondered where it came from and what I had dreamed. Or had I heard it or read it somewhere? I still don’t know.
I had a cup of coffee and thought about it. Though it sounds simple enough, “Let my last act on this earth be one of kindness” is a very tricky thing. It kind of sneaks up on you from behind when you aren’t paying attention, because none of us knows when, where, or how our last act is going to happen. So, if you want your last act to be one of kindness but you don’t know when it will happen, that means you’ll have to be kind all the time, right?
I thought about that and wondered “Can I be kind all the time? Is it possible?”
Maybe not, but I can explore the possibility by keeping the thought in the back of my mind. And if I’m thinking about being kind maybe my success rate of doing so will climb a bit. Maybe one day I’ll even reach the point of being kind without having to think about it. Maybe I can even be kind to those who are unkind. If I must have a goal, that seems like a worthy one.
Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people. ~Roy T. Bennett
Thanks for stopping in.
New Hampshire Garden Solutions 
I think you say it well: keep this thought in the back of your mind and by doing so your success rate will climb 🙂 My friend and I were having a discussion about this the other day… and I wish I would have thought of your reply 🙂
Thank You. I hope I’m right! I’m a firm believer in treating others the way you would like to be treated. And it’s so much less stressful.
I wholeheartedly agree. Something worth reminding myself.
Thank you Wendy. Maybe we should all remind ourselves occasionally.
🙏🏼
I agree with Judy, you do a kindness by writing about all the details that I would not necessarily know in nature, and it opens up a part of the world that I don’t know.
Thanks very much, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it and I hope you’ll continue to do so.
I wouldn’t want a kind thing to be the last thing that I do in my life as that implies a rather abrupt end which I am trying to avoid. My ambition is to breathe out gently and expire having done at least one or two kind things before that moment. I am hoping that I still have time to do them.
I don’t think you have a thing to worry about!
Serenity and Kindness. Allen, I enjoyed your post over a cup of tea on a Saturday morning with gratitude.
I’m glad to hear that, Dave. I hope all is well!
That was an interesting finish to your nap, Allen. I do believe the mind works on things during sleep, and sometimes delivers answers, or at least a message to ponder. Who knows what it will find? You are right, none of us knows how or when our time will come. I saw that myself, last summer. Had I gone to the ER any later, I was told I would have died. Musician Wavy Gravy once said that when he gets up in the morning, he pledges to be the best person he can be, that day. Perhaps that is an attainable goal for all of us, none of us being perfect beings.
Thanks Lavinia. Yes, I think so too. I often have interesting thoughts when I wake from a nap.
That must have been a real wakeup call, having that happen and ending up in the E.R. I know from seeing various relatives have heart attacks that it is life changing, like it or not.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo of Wavy Gravy when he wasn’t smiling, so I can easily believe he said that. That’s another great thought to keep in mind.
Couldn’t agree more!
Thanks Cathy!
Thanks for sharing your ponderings, Allen. This reminder will help all of us to take some time and give some thought to kindness, both given and received.
Thanks Ginny, I do hope that will prove to be true.
Thought-provoking words. Thank you.
You’re welcome Judy. I hope you aren’t snow bound out there in Michigan!
We have given up on Michigan winters. So, we are freezing in AZ instead. Sigh…. Hope you are staying warm in NH.
We’ve had a very mild winter up to this point but it will be a cold finish to the week, they say.
My son is stationed in New Mexico, so I know what you mean!
May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am… reminds the precious gift hanging in my front hall.
I must say, I always feel grateful and more humble when people share their inspirational thoughts. I’ve often felt blessed when the opportunity to pay it forward presents.
I was in the middle of watching the season finale of The Voice when your post came in. I read it and sat back to ponder. After a bit, I returned to The Voice and a young guy from Michigan named Braden Lape was singing his heart out with the Tim McGraw version of Humble and Kind. The serendipity of the moment almost made me shiver.
Thank you for sharing that inspirational and insightful awakening. May we all have more naps like that.
You’re welcome Dave. I can’t say what your dog thinks of you, but I’m sure it must be all good.
I’m glad you liked this post. In the past I used to write things that were out of the realm of true nature study but I always deleted them because I didn’t think anyone would be interested. Now I wish I had saved them.
I have found that if, when you wake from a nap you just sit quietly before getting involved in anything, many interesting thoughts will come. Not always but often.
You achieve a natural ‘kindness’ every time you write a post. Most of us whether we live in nature or read about it still do not adventure to the level you do nor do we know what we might be looking at. So, thank you for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us which encourages us to do the same.
Thank you Judy. I’ve always seen myself as more of a reporter than anything else, simply reporting on what nature is doing, but I am glad that you and others get so much out of this blog. It really is a pleasure to do it as long as I don’t over do it.
If everyone had a nature blog they would adventure to the same level I do!