Dad Said it Best
By Estelle Rodis-Brown
“You cannot legislate morality but you can inspire it with your good example.”
~Themistocles Rodis
To my father, every issue was a moral issue. He felt that every failure in politics or society could be traced to moral failure at the individual level. On the flip side, every solution to reverse social ills such as poverty, injustice, inequity, corruption, etc. must also be based on the moral fiber and strength of character of every individual.
He knew he couldn’t just mandate upstanding moral character; he had to model it in order for us kids to follow his example.
For instance, he would go out of his way to practice kindness. He would visit shut-ins and drive them to doctor’s appointments so they wouldn’t have to take the bus. He would network for unemployed acquaintances, connecting them to potential new jobs and writing letters of recommendation. He would invite lonely singles over to share in our lively family dinners.
My dad demonstrated that the spirit of giving should be a natural outflow of everyday life. It requires slowing down, thinking of others, then taking action on their behalf. People never forgot the little acts of kindness my father did for them. They actually served as hopeful turning points in the dark alleys of life.
We can truly make a positive difference in the lives of those around us, and it typically requires just a little time from your day. Doing simple acts of kindness, like making a phone call, mailing a greeting card, arranging a video chat, delivering groceries or bringing over a hot meal can truly lift someone’s spirits with hope and joy.
The Kindland Connection
If you would like to join together with like-minded people to spread kindness, consider joining From Cleveland to Kindland. This citywide initiative inspires the Cleveland area to be a community of kindness and a model for the rest of the nation to follow.
As part of Values-in-Action’s national Just Be Kind campaign, Kindland organizers say its mission is “to build communities of kindness, caring and respect through programs that teach, promote, and provide skills and tools to enable individuals to make positive, values-based decisions every day.”
If the Cleveland area becomes recognized as the kindest place in the country, it can serve as an example to the rest of the nation for creating and sustaining a unified sense of kindness, compassion, empathy and understanding. The Kindland website says, “These values can become the guiding force behind our community coming together to find solutions to our nation’s most prominent issues, including navigating through the COVID-19 crisis, social justice, racism, and political polarization.”
The Kindland goal is to document 1 million acts of kindness in Cleveland by the end of 2021. When you witness an act of kindness in your neighborhood, you can share that story (including the #KINDLAND hashtag) on the Values in Action website, which links to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can learn more about Kindland at viafdn.org/kindland-toolkit and consider taking the pledge to spread kindness.
Not sure where to start? Click here for 10 simple suggestions for spreading kindness right away.
Help kindness win the day. Whether or not you formally join the Kindland initiative, you can spread kindness daily, inspiring others by your example. Dad said it best.
