This Holiday Season We Need Kindness More Than Ever

As a self-proclaimed holiday junkie, I revel in the beauty of the Christmas season. Fond childhood memories have fueled my desire to carry on the same kind of fairy-tale for my kids. From cookie baking to the tinsel-lined tree, I (like all mothers this time of year) run myself in to the ground making every moment magical.

Too young to understand the real meaning of Christmas, my three little ones are showered with an abundance of presents, attend fun get-togethers and partake in a plethora of holiday activities. Their only concerns are if we have enough batteries to fuel the new toys and picking which ones they will play with first. How fortunate they are.

Please let the world be kind to these three boys.

Trying to shield them from the truth of our world has been strategic. Although we might tell them how lucky they are, they of course do not understand the full scope of their prosperity. The harsh reality is that many people have not, and might not ever, have the same kind of love and charmed existence.

This year feels different than most. It seems crucial to stop amongst the busyness of life and acknowledge the gravity of our surrounding world. A senseless shooting at a synagogue, a peaceful place of worship, tragically left families without loved ones. Political ads spouting hateful rhetoric and vitriol left my six-year-old asking questions far beyond his years. We, as parents, have to wonder as we send our child to school, the movie theatre, a concert, the local playground or church gathering if it might be the last time we see them. Domestic and foreign acts of terrorism grace our newsfeeds daily, and instead of outrage, we’ve become numb to the lives lost. I have personally witnessed bullying, from both children and adults. It comes from the highest powers of our country and spills over in to the hallways of our schools. There seems to be emptiness in our personal exchanges. With heads buried in phones, it has become far too easy to spout ugliness and judgment.

Perhaps I can no longer hide from the reality in which we live. Maybe motherhood has opened my eyes to the kind of world I intend on leaving behind for my children and grandchildren. Or, what is most likely, I’ve had enough! Change has to start somewhere, and it might as well be with me. Mothers, throughout history, have been catalysts for change, and I intend on being one of them.

This holiday season, it feels appropriate to focus a little less on the shiny and new, and more on the old-fashioned goodness of the season. Why must we fight over big screen TVs the day after Thanksgiving rather than lending a hand in our own communities? It does not take much to make a difference. Smiling as a stranger passes us by or meeting up with a girlfriend going through a divorce to toast in solidarity are moments that make a difference. Holding the door for an elderly couple to walk into a restaurant, helping a new mom up the stairs with the stroller, offering to lend a hand to a fellow human being, these are the acts of kindness that mean something!

If we are all tired of the way our world is transforming (and I know most of us are), then we must lead by example. What do our children learn when we spew hatred about another ethnic group or a member of the opposite sex? They learn it is acceptable to discriminate. What do they absorb when we make jokes at the expense of someone who looks different than us? They start to feel entitled and better than. What do they gather when the world solely revolves around material things? They begin to value objects more than people and relationships.

On the contrary, what do our children learn when we deliver homemade treats to an ailing neighbor? They see how good it feels to put a smile on someone’s face. What do they notice when we stand up to ignorance with inclusivity? They learn compassion is more powerful than small-mindedness.

If we want the world to be kind to our children, then we must emulate and exude kindness as their parents, role models and mentors. We must take the high road, even when it is not the easiest route because this next generation desperately needs to see beyond the perfect reality stars and the Instagram ads.

This year let’s all be inspired to show a new level of caring and compassion. Try to be thankful and exemplify the spirit of togetherness and sharing. It is my hope that when we spread the love during the holiday season, it might just continue on throughout the rest of the year, to start a chain reaction of change our country and world so desperately needs.

Before we know it, the fairy-tale of Christmas will be gone in our children’s eyes. Even though the fantasy of the North Pole might fade, what I hope they have left is the sentiment of Christmas giving and the reason Santa was supposed to exist in the first place. Because THAT is what changes the world. THAT is magic.

Kristin Ruthstrom
Kristin is a Lee’s Summit suburb transplant, after living in the Brookside and Plaza areas for over eight years. Raising three young boys with her husband, Jake, has helped her to embrace the messy, wild side of life where love is expressed in bear hugs and body slams. Professionally, she can be found teaching classes as an adjunct professor in the areas of Business, Marketing and PR. She is able to provide her students with applicable, real-life knowledge as she draws from several years working in the corporate sector. “Free time” (ha!, what's that again?) is spent on an occasional date night to favorite local restaurants, reading blogs on everything from home design to politics, riding her sweet beach cruiser bike and thinking of ways to convince her husband to do yet another home improvement project.