Growing Love Through Kindness - Day 2 (Jan. 2, 2025)
- Randall McNeely
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
GROWING LOVE Through KINDNESS - DAY 2
Hello my friends. Happy Friday
I kicked into growing love through kindness early today by folding laundry and grinding more wheat flower (we use a lot) for my wife. What took about 25 minutes will save her time later which will bring a smile to her face and a hug and a kiss for me. Win/Win—kindness given, love grown.
Then on my morning walk I met two wonderful ladies.
First I met Toree while she was out walking her huge Mountain Pyrenees, Soma—though as big as he is, it’s hard to tell who’s walking whom. I couldn’t resist introducing myself, and we ended up walking and talking for a while.
Toree takes Soma on long walks every day—two or three miles, sometimes more. She enjoys the exercise and likes helping him burn off some of his two-year-old, still-a-puppy energy so she can finally rest once they get home.
Our conversation turned to family, and she shared how kindness was something she grew up with. She told me her father had passed away a few years earlier while helping with cleanup after a hurricane hit Georgia. As he was cutting up a fallen tree, another came down and killed him instantly.
My heart went out to her, and I offered my condolences. She thanked me and then said something that stayed with me:
“If he was going to go, I’m sure Dad was happy that he went while helping someone.”
This was kindness in motion, love in action—Toree caring for herself and her dog, and a father who spent his life serving others. Even in tragedy, love had been planted deeply enough to offer comfort and meaning.
Next, I met Sarah Landlee. She was out on the walking path, bundled up against the bitter Iowa cold. Eighty-seven years old, thin as a rail, she looked as though a strong gust might carry her off. She walked with two hiking poles, steady and determined.
We talked briefly, and I asked what brought her out on such a cold day.
“I’ve had three hip surgeries this year,” she said. “This is the only way I can get my strength back.”
That stopped me. Three surgeries. Brutal cold. She's 87 and there she was—out walking. Wow.
This was growing love through kindness. Sarah loved herself enough to do the hard thing, to show up and keep moving. Her walk was an act of resilience, grit, and quiet determination.
When kindness flows, love grows. Science can tell you why kindness matters, but experience teaches it best. Instead of reading about kindness, go give some away—and feel its effects up close, in yourself and in others.
Have a great day and remember, WHEN KINDNESS FLOWS, LOVE GROWS!
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