Kindness Matters

Kindness is a balm for the soul, particularly when we are vulnerable. If we encounter health professionals, it makes a world of difference to us if they are kind and compassionate. If we meet a professional who knows what they are talking about and, as well are collaborative, supportive and interested in you, and are also kind, it feels deeply therapeutic.  

When I researched parents of children with heart disabilities, parents remembered the attitudes of the doctors who cared for their child. If a doctor was clinical and detached they remembered that very clearly. As a corollary, if a doctor was warm, supportive and compassionate, they remembered that also clearly.  Some of these parents had the experience with the doctor twenty years before I spoke to them. My sense was that they would remember the attitude of the doctor over a lifetime.

Kindness matters on a daily basis. To receive a smile, or a warm response from a person in a shop is lovely and soothing. To encounter friendly supportive neighbors whom you can turn to if you need help, generates community and the sense of not being alone. Warmth and kindness have a powerful impact on living.