Throughout high school, I have dedicated most of my time volunteering with special needs individuals. I had the privilege to work with a six-year-old girl who, when she saw another child on a field trip, would run up and quickly announce her name, take out all of the toys she had brought with her, and begin to play with the child she had just met. I also worked with a teenager having limited verbal skills, who nevertheless was able to give you the best hugs and root for you better than a cheerleader ever could. I volunteered at Camp Anchor, where an adult would greet me every time with a handshake: “How was your day?” “How are you feeling?” What I have observed throughout my time volunteering is that in the life skills community, kindness is not just a simple “one and done” type deal; it is a way of life. All these people that I have mentioned live their lives through love, and have a surplus of love to give to every person they encounter. Their kindness is sustainable, maintained at such a high level not only as children, but through adolescents and adulthood as well.
Self-care, like the environment, is not solely dependent on the direct influences in your surroundings. Flowers do not bloom where there are no seeds planted. They are spread through the pollination of bees or the animals around them. Once finding their homes in the soil or water, it is the care and conditions of the soil, air, water, and overall nature that helps form the full plant. The sustainability of kindness acts similarly. Children are like the bees and animals, the care and conditions. Once you come in contact and experience the love of the life skills community, you begin to grow. I honestly feel that if we all adopted kindness as a way of life, the world would be a better place. –Hannah