World Kindness Day

Did you know it's World Kindness Day?

You didn't?

Huh. That's probably because a yoga instructor named Erica in Billings, Montana, made it up. She told us a story a while back about how, when she and her sisters were growing up, her father never wanted anything for his birthday. When they'd press him, he'd just say, "All I want is peace and love, in this house, and in the world." So of course they bought him a lot of useless mugs and junk with "Peace" and "Love" on them, but as she grew older, she realized he was sincere, and all he ever wanted was for his loved ones—if not actually the world—to show kindness to one another.

Erica and her sisters decided that the best they could do would be to declare April 16, his birthday, "World Kindness Day," and they've been passing out green plastic bracelet things that say, "World Kindness Day 4/16 Spread the Peace & Love." I'm wearing one now, but so far that and this blog post are my only personal contribution to World Kindness Day. (And even that is less than it sounds, because I have 23 followers and have yet to leave the house today.)

I think it's a sweet idea, though. Would you like to join me in halfheartedly celebrating the birthday of a kind man whose name you don't know? Spread the peace and love.