#ChooseKIND Should be Celebrated in Every Major City!

Our family was invited to celebrate #ChooseKINDChicago yesterday at an event organized by Alderman Matt O'Shea and hosted by Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Chicago, IL. The event included a discussion by the author who inspired the #ChooseKIND initiative.  With her book Wonder, R.J. Palacio gave schools and communities an inspirational platform to discuss kindness and empathy; to celebrate the fact that kindness is something anyone can practice. 

Palacio said she is honored that Wonder inspired the #ChooseKIND initiative.  Her hope is that the message continues gaining momentum.  She loves that people like the Lynch family from Chicago are visiting schools to promote kindness toward those who look different.  Politicians like Matt O'Shea obviously agree, and I think more should come on board.  Why not push all of our local, state, and national leaders to recognize kindness?  Why not have every major city designate a "Choose Kind Day?"  Better yet, let's have our government make it a nationally recognized day.  Wouldn't it be amazing to see random acts of kindness being done everywhere? To promote that "Kindness is Cool!"

Wouldn't you love to see this billboard in your community? Tell your local leaders you want to see one!

To be treated with kindness is a universal desire we all have.  "Choose Kind" vs "Don't Bully" is a more positive and empowering message to teach in our schools.  The Golden Rule "treat others the way you would like to be treated" remains relevant in our communities. Let's start by simply being nice, by showing some empathy to others once in a while, by not thinking of ourselves as busier or more important than the next person, and by being a positive example to everyone around us.