Small Kindnesses
Pequeñas bondades--por Danusha Lameris
He estado pensando sobre cómo, cuando caminas
por un pasillo lleno de gente, la gente se para
para dejarte pasar. O cómo los extraños todavía dicen "bendit@ seas"
cuando alguien estornuda, algo que viene
de la peste bubónica. “No te mueras”, estamos diciendo.
Y a veces, cuando se caen limones
de la bolsa de la compra, alguien te ayuda a
recogerlos.
Sobre todo, no queremos hacernos daño un@s a otr@s.
Queremos que nos entreguen nuestra taza de café caliente,
y decir gracias a quien la entregue. Sonreírl@s y que ell@s nos devuelvan la sonrisa.
Que la camarera nos llame “cariño” cuando deja el tazón de sopa de pescado,
y que el conductor de la camioneta roja nos deje pasar.
Ahora tenemos tan poco un@s de otr@s. Hasta aquí
de la tribu y el fuego. Sólo estos breves momentos de intercambio.
¿Y si son la verdadera morada de lo sagrado, estos
templos fugaces que hacemos junt@s cuando decimos: “Aquí,
toma mi asiento”, “Adelante, tú primero”, “Me gusta tu sombrero”.
Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con la noción de que la pequeña bondad cotidiana que expresamos y recibimos podría ser la verdadera morada de lo santo? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de un momento en que te sentiste bendecid@ por una pequeña bondad? ¿Qué te ayuda a recordar la amabilidad en un breve momento de intercambio?
Derechos de autor 2019 Danusha Laméris. Publicado por primera vez en "Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection" de Green Writers Press. Bonfire Opera (Prensa de la Universidad de Pittsburgh 2020).
Danusha Laméris is Poet Laureate emeritus of Santa Cruz County, California. Her poem above went viral in the pandemic, and inspired a follow-on collaborative poem by 1300 teenagers from around the world.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion that the small everyday kindness we express and receive could be the true dwelling of the holy? Can you share a personal story of a time you felt blessed by a small kindness? What helps you remember kindness in a brief moment of exchange?
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30 Past Reflections
On Feb 14, 2024 Wiesje wrote :
Krijg foto's opgestuurd van vrienden bij een gezellig etentje met de tekst: volgend jaar moet jij er ook bij zijn. Dat is zo lief.
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On Feb 11, 2024 jasmeet k wrote :
this poem gives a good reflection of how the small kindness can make your daily experiences better
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On Dec 23, 2023 Cor Westerholt wrote :
In deze zijn twee manieren om een situatie te beschrijven nl.
1. De titel van het boek van Rutger Bregman: De meeste mensen deugen.
2. De titel van het TV programma; Toen was geluk nog heel gewoon.
1. De titel van het boek van Rutger Bregman: De meeste mensen deugen.
2. De titel van het TV programma; Toen was geluk nog heel gewoon.
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On Sep 21, 2023 max medina wrote :
the story is just talking about how nice everything is like how the world is divided
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On Nov 17, 2022 Parul wrote :
I always seen many people around me who need everyones help,one though every time comes in my is I have to do something for them but suddenly one thought comes in my mind is it's not necessary, they are facing any problems who created by them and I stop.
I always trapped this kind of thought and stopping my self to allow helping people.
I always trapped this kind of thought and stopping my self to allow helping people.
1 reply: Garth | Post Your Reply
On Nov 15, 2022 Amrin wrote :
i learnt this beautifully from my boyfriend, he never considers other human as stranger. For him, everyone is known. He will bluff anyone and make them laugh randomly.
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On Nov 15, 2022 ade wrote :
I love when people, strangers stop and allow me to chat, touch and even let their dogs play with me. I love this exchange between strangers - and the pets like it too. I'm a stranger, a strange smell, a strange voice - yet when I stop and ask - or just simply embrace a dog that wants to jump on me - I am so blessed! Pets "know" love and who needs love - and I feel a 1,000 times better when I exchange love with a pet on the street. Inevitably, this leads to a greeting and smile with the pet's owner - friendly - kind exchange between strangers. Joy.
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On Nov 15, 2022 CJ wrote :
A few years ago, my husband and I ("gringos") were vacationing in Mexico. The first day after picking up our rental car, we drove to the grocery store and got the front bumper caught on an unseen water pipe in a landscape feature. Not knowing why the car wouldn't move, my husband stepped on the gas harder while backing up and the bumper came off!
Two young Mexican men came by and saw our dilemma. They jumped out of their vehicle and offered to help. They borrowed some tools from another Mexican nearby and spent 40 minutes under our car on the pavement, reattaching the bumper. When I tried to give them some pesos, they quickly got back in their car saying, "No, we're your friends!" and off they drove. What a heart-warming experience!
Two young Mexican men came by and saw our dilemma. They jumped out of their vehicle and offered to help. They borrowed some tools from another Mexican nearby and spent 40 minutes under our car on the pavement, reattaching the bumper. When I tried to give them some pesos, they quickly got back in their car saying, "No, we're your friends!" and off they drove. What a heart-warming experience!
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On Nov 15, 2022 Debbie wrote :
We forget that small acts of generosity and kindness that come natural to most people mean something. Beautiful reading.
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On Nov 15, 2022 Evelyn wrote :
I remember getting stuck in the snow at the bottom of my long driveway with my groceries and my twin 4 year olds. My neighbors who I didn't know because I was new here passed by & saw me. Moments later they were back with a 4 wheeler with a winch on it to pull me out & up to my house. They didn't want any money when I offered it. True kindness!
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On Nov 15, 2022 Gary marcus judge wrote :
Thanks for sharing your insights Danusha Lameris. Your reflections made me reflect on how unaware we are of the small gestures of love that pepper our day. From giving to receiving we should be celebrating them more. As you say it could be the tribe and fire that is missing from many peoples lives. Connection. Covid has isolated us more than ever, from masks to remote working, human contact is being eradicated. I personally will pay attention to all the holy exchanges in my day today to ensure I bring connection back into my action and being. God bless
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On Nov 14, 2022 Krishna iyer wrote :
Absolutely YES !!! Recollect in Incident in Saudi Arabia. While coming out of the Mall, twisted my ankle while walking to the car. Just sat down in pain. A Saudi gentleman, dressed in impeccable white local dress, made me sit on the parapet wall and he kneeled down and kept my feet on his thigh and gently massaged it, till the pain was manageable. He also gave me a bottle of water. His kindness touched my heart deeply and changed my perception about Saudis.
1 reply: Clodagh | Post Your Reply
On Nov 14, 2022 Pebbles wrote :
In the hustle and bustle of daily life it's easy to forget our interconnectedness with each other. These small acts remind us and renew our sense of oneness and compassion.
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On Nov 13, 2022 Ted wrote :
These small unrequested acknowledgements of each other in daily life are a gift of recognition to true self, which is not as separate as our egoic interactions assume. Our culture encourages seeing fellow travelers with apprehension, yet how many face even worse apprehension visiting estranged family over the holidays? As long as we self-righteously revolve around *I*, *ME* and *MINE*, suffering results.
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On Nov 12, 2022 David Doane wrote :
My relating to the notion is that there are many breaks or divisions in our natural wholeness which is also our natural holiness, and kindness helps heal the divisions and regain or increase wholeness and holiness. I feel blessed when someone holds open a door for me. My feeling blessed isn't that the door was opened for me, which I could have done for myself, but is the fact that someone did a small kindness for me which triggers in me an awareness in that moment of connection and holiness between us. In one sense such a moment is small and fleeting, but it is important and is a blessing. When I remember kindness, what helps me is knowing that kindness is healing, knowing that kindness is right action, knowing that I and the other benefit from and feel good about kindness, and knowing that I feel regret when I'm not kind.
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On Nov 11, 2022 Jagdish P. Dave wrote :
Reading this passage by Danusha Lameris reminds me of two of my favorite authors: F.F.Schumacher who wrote 'Small Is Beautiful' and Mother Teresa who wrote 'Be Kind Anyway'. Kindness done from our loving heart opens the door to Divinty, "the true dwelling of the holy." We get many opprtunities to receive and express gifts of small acts of kindness everyday of our life.
Such gifts bring joy and happiness to the giver and the receiver. It creates holy or spiritual connections regardless of outward differences-financial, political, racial, or religious.
I was born and raised in a relatively poor family. Financially we were poor, but inwardly we were affulent. I saw my parents giving small amounts of food to hungry people. Seeing them happy by these small acts of kindness was a blessing to us. This gift of giving has opened my heart and has made me very happy and enriched.
I am blessed to have such parents for teaching me the value of acts of kindness. They provided good modeling and... [View Full Comment]
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On Nov 11, 2022 susan schaller wrote :
I smiled. I nodded. I said, "yes." Smiles and kindnesses save lives, daily. I want to remember to look people in the eye when I say "good morning" and to smile, and make someone laugh when I wear my silly octopus hat.