From Our CEO, Kelly O’Lague Dulka

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was skipping stones. I was fascinated by the way the stones would bounce across the water and leave a trail of concentric circles. I loved watching the beautiful circles that spread out from the bounce of a simple stone.

When I think of the effects of kindness, what comes to mind for me is the image of those concentric circles. One small act of kindness can ripple out the way the water does. Have you ever been the recipient of an unexpected act of kindness? It’s amazing how nice it is, right? And, research shows that when someone is on the receiving end of kindness, it makes them more likely to treat others with kindness in response.

Over the past year, we’ve been offering workshops at Child Care Links on the effects of stress and trauma on children. We’ve studied how trauma affects brain development, social and emotional well-being and even physical and mental health. Sadly, we know that a high percentage of children experience one or more traumatic events by the time they reach kindergarten. Often we aren’t even aware of the trauma children have experienced. There’s a saying that has really resonated with me. It goes like this, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

During the month of February our call to action at Child Care Links involves kindness. Recognizing that everyone carries hurts and hopes and heartache, we hope you will join us in finding ways to be a source of care and compassion for those around you. Just a simple act of kindness can have a huge impact. Years ago, out of the blue, someone came up to me at an outdoor cafe in San Francisco, handed me a small bouquet of flowers and said, “I just wanted to tell you that I hope you have a really good day.” Of course, that small gesture left a lasting mark on my heart. I never saw that person again, never had the chance to appropriately thank him, but all these years later, I still remember his simple act of kindness.

Let’s inspire each other this month to be kind to those around us. Share your acts of kindness with us, those you’ve given and those you’ve received, on social media. Use the hashtag: #CCLKindnessProject. If you aren’t on social media, email them to me (kdulka@childcarelinks.org) and I’ll share them for you.

I believe that together, by inspiring kindness, we can change the world.