A Moment with the Mayor: Kindness Wins

We all could use a little kindness in our lives. 

We often experience kindness in one form or another as people say hello, smile, hold a door open, or move out of the way to yield the right of way. There are numerous ways to show kindness to our loved ones, friends, neighbours and our community. Kindness Wins encourages Lloydminster and area citizens to stand up for kindness, inclusion and respect and is in its 14th year.

I try to think of ways to show kindness to those I encounter and work at that. At home, kindness looks a little different. It shows up in doing what needs to be done with a smile. It can be easier to show kindness to strangers sometimes. What we see as kindness isn’t always received that way. In this country where winter reigns for many months, kindness could be shovelling snow for your neighbours, those who may have mobility issues, or a family with a newborn and small child, or that have their hands full, as they say. Kindness may be welcoming new neighbours, sharing information about our community, and helping people feel like they belong. 

Kindness comes in many different forms and even in ways that only you can imagine. Thinking about what might bless someone else is a great place to start. Sometimes I think we wonder why we as a society have so many rules. Rules for behaviour, driving rules, rules for taking care of our stuff. These rules may sometimes seem arbitrary and without purpose, but they often are the foundation for kindness. We need to have structure and order and one of the things we Canadians are known for around the world is our politeness. We apologize for all sorts of things. Sometimes, we even apologize for things that we weren’t responsible for. Kindness is choosing to behave and do things in a way that is going to make the world better for others and us. 

The Kindness Wins campaign also focuses on respect. Respect is challenging as we tend to think that respect must be earned. Basic respect for each other and the things of our world when it is a part of our everyday lives results in an enriched and more full life.

Let’s be a community that is overflowing with kindness because we all know. Kindness Wins!

Mayor Gerald S. Aalbers
City of Lloydminster