Courageous Acts of Kindness

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead

Homelessness is one of many challenges facing the world, and has multi-pronged contributing factors. The multiple causes of homelessness in the United States make it one of those issues that seem impossible to solve. However, there is a daily practice available for all citizens that can make a difference in a homeless person’s life: view and treat them with dignity. The homeless are human beings with the same feelings, needs, wants, and desire for respect that we all have.

Last winter I stumbled upon a website for an organization called Finding Grace Homeless Initiative, founded by Lynn Blodgett. The website (see links on left of blog) profiles Lynn's photographs of some of the homeless in America.

His portraits are beautiful. They capture the souls of the homeless people he photographed, and poignantly remind us of their humanity. In the forward of the book, Danny Glover says, “We cherish our democracy in theory, but to honor it in practice we must all participate and collaborate in the improvement of our society. No individual can end homelessness, but we can each find our own way to embody the struggle against it. We must decide to act. But first we must decide to look.”

By looking, and seeing these people as human beings, with stories that we cannot even begin to imagine, we can shift our perception, and open our eyes to possibility rather than judgment. Each day, each of us makes choices, and every choice we make has a ripple effect on the world and our own lives.

I watched the new Sandra Bullock movie, The Blind Side, last week. This movie, based on the book “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,” tells the story of Leigh Anne Tuohy and Michael Oher, a homeless teen that the family takes in out of the cold. The story is a call to action to all of us, reminding us to tap into the best side of our human nature, and find a way to embody the struggle we are all engaged in: to create a world where each of us can live into our highest potential, our planet is vibrant with life, and we have learned to balance the human needs for compassion, community and wellness with prosperity and financial wealth.

Please do not fall into the trap of thinking one person can’t create change. Although some issues require a partnership between many, there are thousands more examples of individuals who had the courage to make choices that created ripple effects of goodness in the world.

One smile, one word of encouragement can make a difference between hope and despair in anyone’s life; and all of us, together, can create partnerships of progress for the things that matter most. I urge you during this Thanksgiving season to offer a smile and a word of encouragement to someone you would ordinarily pass by. Sometimes one person’s small but courageous act of kindness can start a revolution of change.