"She opens her mouth with wisdom and kindness is on her tongue.: Proverbs 31:26

I drive by my children’s former elementary school several times during any given week. I also glance down onto the playground in hopes of seeing the children playing, running wild, and generally having a good time…the true work of childhood. A few weeks ago I noticed that red material of some kind had been woven into the chain link fence. The material spelled out the words: Take time. I thought it was a perfect recess message. Take time each day for running wild, blowing of steam, exercise and playtime.

A week or so later I was driving by again and I saw that the message had expanded: Take time to be. How very Zen! I wondered whether elementary children actually needed such a message. Perhaps in these times of over scheduled children, they do. And then I thought maybe that the message was really for the teachers, the adults, those on ‘playground duty’ to remind them to notice these beautiful children. Why not take their lead in how it is we walk in the world?

Yesterday I drove by once more and saw a completely different message: Take Time to be Kind. Ahh…..what a good playground message. What a great workplace message. What a great life message. Kindness is a virtue meant to be spread around or written in red where we can always be reminded. Remember the bumper sticker:Commit random acts of kindness? It is a message that never grows old.

There is probably someone in your life that could use a good dose of kindness. Today might be the day to Take Time. Today might be the day to simply be. Today might be the day to Take Time to be Kind. I think we will all feel better if we follow those red letters. Care to join me?