I had a really special group of ladies in my beginner silversmithing class this month.
Being mostly self-taught and tyrannically frugal in my craft, my studio is simple and easily duplicated on the cheap. It’s fun to share my knowledge of jewelry making and I honestly get as much out of teaching as my students learn. We make things, we bond, we learn about the ions in metal and how to measure wire. It’s always a blast and I only get to offer the course once a year due to my busy schedule.
This group was unique. All four ladies were at very different stages of their lives, wanted to learn silversmithing for very different reasons, and had very different skill sets. It was so much fun to watch their takes on the projects we worked on-they don’t copy what I make, they copy the technique and make amazing one of a kind pieces of jewelry.
During the 1st week, one student confided in us that someone she loved had just entered hospice. She needed to be with us, to learn something, to be distracted, and four strangers surrounded her with love and compassion. On the second week she was late, as her loved one had passed. I had a pot of coffee at the ready and one of the women popped up, made her a cup, even remembering how she took her coffee the week before, and we again surrounded her in love and as much pleasant distraction as we could during the last 2 weeks of class.
It was a small thing-that cup of coffee, but her kindness was so powerful. She didn’t hesitate. She jumped at the chance to be kind to someone that really needed it. A stranger. It was a beautiful, pure, and I so admired her reaction. She was radiant.
I’ve been thinking of that moment a lot lately. It taught me that we shouldn’t hesitate. We should JUMP at the chance to be kind. It doesn’t cost us a thing and we have an endless supply.
If we were all radiant and blooming at the same time, could you imagine how remarkable this world would be? We don’t know what the person standing next to us at the grocery store is enduring and we all have our demons. What if a small kindness is all they need to turn their day up versus down?
Are you actively blooming? Because in a way, it’s a very selfish endeavor-you will also feel good from being kind. I promise. So, pour that cup of coffee, read that extra story to your little one when you don’t have time, or pick up sticks in your elderly neighbors’ yard. You will feel as radiant being kind as you do when you receive kindness. The way you live your life is an active choice. Choose kind.