The noble art of selfdefence - kindness

Goodmorning!!

Bathing in sunshine we take a deep breath and think kindly of the day before us.
I know nothing of what's in store for me, none of us do.
Today many people will meet yet another day in the hospitalbed, hoping for recovery.
Others are working, others have no work to go to. In some families the day started with anger, in others it started with love and happiness. Many people will spend this day and hundreds more, in solitude, others are wishing for at least a few minutes in peace and quiet.
This day also, there are important meetings going on, for peace in Syria, for the political future in Germany, for the situation along the greek borders, there will be meetings in schools and courthouses,
there will be plenty of options and kindness will be one.

 Human beings, yes. Told to love our neighbour or even better, our enemies. We are indeed individuals, but at the samt time part of something greater.
We can't always claim our rights, we have to back off when the needs of others are greater.
In the political arena, the personal meeting, face to face, hopefully in the same room, makes us very aware of what we are. To be human among humans always means true meetings and a great deal of
sacrifice. Yes. Kindness allows us to disregard what we dislike in the other and focus on what's needed to make life easier and brighter.
Kindness is very important in every meeting beacuse we are not always capable of loving, but being kind is always possible, at least trying.

I have very kind friends and neighbours. They know what it takes. It means setting yourself aside for a moment, keeping back being annoyed, irritated, short of time or simply bored. Sometimes it's much easier, and that's good because it makes me stronger.
Kindness makes you stronger. Giving AND getting. Greeting people you don't know, smile when you stand in line, try starting a conversation, stop by the fence when that unknown person is actually in the garden.
Daily I see people here in the village helping others. When the refugees came I was surprised to see so many villagers willing to sacrifice and give kindness, time, money. And kindness have a tendency of bouncing back. Many of these newcommers have engaged themselves in helping out where they can, kindness received gave double back. Human to human, person to person, soul to soul, regardless of origin, kindness knows no limits and the reward can be surprising. Even if there is nothing coming back to you, don't give up! Practising kindness makes it easier to love.

So I wish for all these important meetings and elections that kindness towards the person in front of them, may clear the mind and heart to a wise decision.
May kindness also lighten up a dark day, lighten a burden, surprising the hopeless.
Where there is kindness, there can be love and where there is love, there can be peace.
We often feel we have to defend ourselves against potential dangers, the unknown, our own dark sides and the darkness of others. Kindness is actually a much better defence than anger. So I believe.