This week, we are saying thank you to the caregivers: the doctors, nurses, and people that care for our sick and ill, our elderly, and those with special needs. We know the commitment that you make each day to bring your caring and   kindness to those in need. We want to share a wonderful story about how a special caregiver showed so much patience, love, and kindness!
 
This caregiver works at an elderly home and works closely with patients that have dementia. One   Sunday morning, Emily got a call to come into work, as one of her patients was very agitated and was saying that she wanted to go home. Emily rushed over to the elderly home to find her patient, Martha, extremely nervous, agitated, and pacing the floor. Emily tried calling Martha’s son; however, he was traveling and could not be reached. Emily convinced Martha to come to the cafeteria where they could have a cup of tea. Emily sat patiently with Martha talking to her for about an hour. Emily then started walking Martha back to her room. Martha again said that she   wanted to go home; Emily tried to explain to   Martha that this was her home now. Once Martha got to her room, she saw her family pictures and a special picture of Jesus that was by her bed. She sat calmly and cried. Emily held her hand and said that Jesus is always watching over you! Martha hugged Emily! Just then, the phone rang, and it was Martha’s son. He thanked Emily for caring for his mom while he was away. Emily was Martha’s guardian angel! God sees our kind acts and He never forgets the kindness we show to those in need!
 

​This week’s focus is our family and friends! Let’s all be kind to our family and friends by showing and telling them how much we care about them. Time goes by so quickly. We get tied up in our work or school and we do not tell a family member that we love them or we miss an opportunity to give that special someone a hug.

This week:

• Hug your significant other or that special friend!
• Hug your children and tell them that you love them! Really show them that you love them!
• Hug your parents and grandparents!

 
Spread your love! Never wait until tomorrow to hug someone you could hug today!
 
We wish you a wonderful week filled with  kindness and love! Please share your kindness acts with us.

This week we wanted to share with you some pictures of the Advent Christmas Kindness Trees. They are really special and truly demonstrate the impact of being kind!
 
We have posted several pictures and examples of the kindness acts that our students did during the Advent Season on the parish website in the Road to Kindness section. Please take some time to look at these pictures and be touched! We want to thank all of our wonderful students in our school, REP, Edge, and Life Teen programs! We also want to thank Sister Eileen and all the teachers, as well as the leaders and teachers of the REP, Edge, and Life Teen programs for their continued support of our kindness program!
 

As the new year kicked off, we heard so many wonderful stories of kindness during this past week. Many of our parish members told us stories about their specific kindness acts and those that they observed. Thank you for sharing your     kindness!
 
This week, we want to share some ideas for weaving kindness into 2019, excerpts taken from The Chopra Center.
 

• Start each day with a kind intention: put kindness on your to-do list.
• Perform random acts of kindness: imagine the ripple effect from a small act of kindness.
• Make connecting a priority: reach out to your relatives, friends, and neighbors, and take the time to build stronger relationships.
• Smile: a simple smile can be the lift that  someone needs to have a wonderful day. Smile, and smile often.
• Express compassion on social media: if you are angry, stay away from writing it on a social media site. Take a deep breath. Did you know that your social media interactions can counteract cyber-bullying? Stay as positive as you can and offer words of kindness and  appreciation.
• Volunteer: you can make a difference.
• Coordinate dinners for a friend in need: showing that you care can be a tremendous boost for someone who may be sick, depressed, or heartbroken.
• Ask: “How are you?” and mean it.
• Give: Compliment someone.
• Include yourself in your kindness practice: notice your inner voice and see if you can change it to be more caring and less critical. Stay positive and know that you have so many wonderful qualities.