We're Back!! With Gargantuan Amounts of Kindness to Spread :)

Hello there, friends!!

Well, it has been way too long since the Superheroes of Kindness officially reported to duty via their blog.  For that, I apologize.  Have no fear, the Superheroes have been very active, bringing smiles and modelling that you are never too young to make a difference in your community.  From fulfilling a service learning project that painted the turtles at a neighborhood water deck to chalking up the sidewalk to say hi to parents, the Superheroes have been going strong. 

Except for the occasional blurb, the Superhero blog is used to report the activities of our young superheroes and the community they impact.  The rare occasion has led to a personal story, and this is just that case.  Part of the Superhero philosophy is understanding that everyone comes from their own set of experiences, this providing a base for understanding.  Today’s story is to explain our absence and get you excited for regular blog reports again. 

This story starts on World Kindness Day, 2012.  This particular day was extra special to this Superhero.  For the first time, I was moving beyond our school walls to a classroom of kindergartners that housed 5 Superhero alumni to perform an act of kindness.  Not just any classroom, this was my daughter’s classroom.  They were known to be somewhat extra squirmy, but full of heart.  It felt

weird to leave the MCS Superheroes as they found themselves in a fun music circle thanks to a local family of fun musicians, but it was exhilarating to visit so many alum and bringing kindness to another sector of our community.  The day was amazing.  We read a kindness story and made flowers.  Some children made multiple flowers, some added extreme detail to a single one.  All children wore capes, and all children wore an expression showing great pride.  The Superhero alumni were proud to share that this was part of who they were, and folks new to Superheroes of Kindness showed great pride in performing their act of kindness.  They were so excited; many started their mission planning to take their flowers home to their families or neighbors but changed their minds realizing they just wanted to give their handful of kindness away immediately!  Many gave flowers to their PE teacher, principal, secretary, you name it.  In fact, to this day I still have a bouquet on my desk of flowers given to me during this mission.

The experience was extraordinary, and I knew my child was in a school that valued kindness and random acts of kindness.  I went home feeling invigorated.  In true form, as I cooked dinner I started drafting the blog entry for this mission in my mind.  This was the life – still wearing my superhero glow, making the whole cooking dinner with a tired and hungry child seem so much smoother than normal.  Then it came.  The text that let me know my mom was on her way to the hospital in cardiac arrest.  The next several weeks were surreal.  I arrived at the hospital only to have it be abundantly clear I was walking into a room to find my mom had passed away.  We live in the same town, so my daughter had a very close relationship with my mom.  I found myself having to deal with personal emotions, sharing the news and feelings with friends and family, and of course, suddenly working through this with my daughter, a kindergartner.  Not to mention the next morning, yes morning, my brother’s car (right in front of the elementary school) was hit by a drunk driver.  During these few weeks I also had to muster up the ability to finish grad school and totally flop the final round interviews for an award I had worked towards for a couple of months.  This Superhero of Kindness’ heart became drained.  Beyond drained. 

Over what has now become almost two years, I found missions with the Superheroes continued to provide invigoration, happiness, and solid footing in what was now a different world.  Performing

acts of kindness just makes the heart strong and missions helped me experience again what it felt like not to feel totally drained, at first for moments and then for longer periods.  It sounds cheesy, but it’s true.  Kindness adds strength one does not think they have.  Everyone around us has a story, a story that helps define them.  Everyone also contains a heart that is open to realizing the difference compassion has in this world.  My cape is always handy, you never know when you may need it.  Although missions continued, and continued in force, the difference these last couple years was we didn’t report it.  Every time I sat down to write I froze, feeling paralyzed,  coming back to that moment when I was drafting the blog to write that evening only to find my world change forever. 

Finally, the fear that would overcome me as I would sit to write an entry has started  loosened up.  It’s time for us to inspire each other with how transformative a genuine act of kindness can be.  Over

the next couple weeks we will share some of the Superhero stories that have transpired over the course of what appeared to be their absence.  These Superheroes spread kindness all over the town and filled many buckets while doing so, and boy howdy do they have some stories to tell. 

Thank you for listening to this hero’s experience, and giving the Superheroes of Kindness another chance to show you are never too young to make a difference in your community.

Here is to a great year filled with kindness!!

Cheers,
Kristal

(Aka Superhero of Kindness Shenanigan Bringer)