The Kindness Campaign

Returning from a long day of work can be a tremendous experience ---
coming home to a smiling spouse who is joyfully awaiting your arrival
with a hug and a kiss. The house is clean and the table is set for
dinner with a delicious aroma permeating the air. The children are
playing contentedly together and gleefully run to you throwing their
arms around your neck while shouting, "Yeah! You're home - I missed
you!"

Beautiful isn't it? I must admit, that not all of my arrivals
from work have been so elegant; in fact, most have not - - but some
have. I've concluded that these precious moments of arrivals and
farewells, as well the quality of our family time spent together,
are usually directly correlated with how well I treat my children
and my spouse. If I treat them with kindness, then kindness is
reciprocated to me, as well as to my entire family. In other
words, if one wants kindness to permeate his or her home, it's time
to go look in the mirror, do some heavy self analysis, and take
action within your home by starting your own "Kindness Campaign."

The best place to begin the Kindness Campaign is with the one you
love most - your spouse. Your spouse should be the central
person of your life. He or she should feel loved, comfortable,
confident and even charismatic in your presence. Kind acts to your
spouse, whether it be as simple as a love note, or as dramatic as a
quick get away, will not only help a marriage survive, but it will
help your marriage thrive in a world that seems set on tearing
marriages apart. Think of what kindness means to your spouse, and
take action on it today. The investment from your actions will
certainly help to increase the value of your marriage.

The Kindness Campaign should next be implemented with your
children. Our family emphasizes love and kindness in our home by
implementing "love tickets" into our weekly routine. We have a
vase in our living room labeled the "love jar." When we (or
another family member) "catch" one of our children doing a kind act
for someone else, then that person's name is written on a piece of
paper along with the act of kindness and placed in the jar.

Excitement is at a high point when each week three (or any other
specified number) entries are drawn from the love jar, because the
winners are rewarded with a spectacular prize such as a special
treat, extra time with mom or dad, or a specified number of
privilege tickets (see www.firstratefamily.com for explanation).
Although prizes are given in a spirit of cooperation and fun, the
benefits of showing kindness to each other run much deeper than
just a physical gift.

When kindness fills a home, it is as if anyone who enters that home
can feel the presence of love, respect, and happiness -- including
one who just came home from a hard day of work. Take the challenge!
Begin your own Kindness Campaign today, and perhaps you will find the
vision at the beginning of this article, becoming a reality for you
and your family!