Advent window number four looks back to a poem written in 2020, as part of my first published poetry collection: 'Diary of a Dizzy Peri - Poems and thoughts on midlife, menopause and mental health.' Its theme is kindness, how it is shown in many different ways and how it feels to receive kindness from another.
A Dash of Kindness
Kindness pours from a comfy cup,
One with chips or a crack or two,
For it has seen the worst of times.
Kindness feels like a deep pile rug,
By a warm log fire as your toes sink in,
Makes no judgements of your crimes.
Kindness flows like a powerful stream,
It can take your breath away,
As it cleanses and renews.
Kindness mends with its sewing thread,
A tattered box of odds and ends,
Helps you make do and re-use.
Kindness follows no pattern set,
Simply wears its 'Boho' style,
For pretence is not its thing.
Kindness acts but it doesn't know
That its precious charm is simplicity,
Showing new paths to begin.
Kindness works with a single word,
Or a thought or action small,
As it doesn't look for fame.
Kindness is what it needs to be,
When it sees a space that it has to fill,
Treating everyone the same.
Karen Honnor - 2020
My poem - A Dash of Kindness' was part of a book that was written as an exploration of peri-menopause and getting to grips with what that meant to me. At the time of writing it, I came across many people who showed me small acts of kindness, who listened and supported me. Such friends and supporters become our network to turn to when we need them most. One such person who was kind enough to listen to my thoughts and to support my author journey was Ruth O'Reilly from All FM. She has interviewed me a couple of times about my writing, one of which you can listen to here, that was part of a special programme for International Women's Day.
Small acts of kindness can make such a big difference to the recipient. Like ripples spreading outwards, beyond the initial splash from a pebble cast. A kind word, a small action, all can colour a day in a more positive hue. As Christmas approaches and everyone gets caught up in the pressures of busy preparations, it's good to think how a little kindness here and there might help each other.
"Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end."
Scott Adams
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