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Duxbury Project
June 2009
Duxbury MA
(information)
liveKIND has challenged me to, well, live kindly.
For those of you who have no clue of who I am, I’m Greg. 6 months ago I was diagnosed with cancer. Don’t ask me how I got it. I have no clue. One day I’m feeling fine. The next day I’m dog-sick with this thing on my tongue. Blame it on the coffee. Blame it on stress. Blame it on bad luck, as the doctors said, but I had cancer. I wasn’t even 24 then. “How could this be happening to me” was a favorite question of mine for a while. I mean, how can I be a twenty-something, having smoked a handful of cigars, drank socially, and went about a seemingly-perfect life only to have a doctor call one day five minutes after I got to work and say, “Our suspicions were correct. You have cancer.” It makes no sense.
But it still happened to me.
So I’m writing you not to tell you about me, not to dwell on this life changing disease, but to let you know about a kindness I was shown. It’s not that simple sort of kindness you find when someone smiles at you. It’s also not this overly-extravagant kindness like someone giving you a million bucks either. It’s a kindness that’s found in between these two extremes. One that says, “I will do whatever it takes for some random person to be happy.” “I will look out for my fellow man.” “I will treat them as though they were the closest of loved ones.” “And I will do it just because.” I know that’s a classic line our parents pulled on us when they really didn’t have an explanation for something they were making us do (i.e. the dishes, cleaning our room, time out, etc.). And now this is the classic line liveKIND is pulling.
liveKIND is saying “I will be kind to you just because.” Maybe it’s because we’re all human. Maybe it’s because they get a kick out of helping others. Maybe it’s because they think that kindness can change the world. Maybe it’s because kindness exhibits some sort of divine love that eclipses even the nastiest of people. Whatever this organizations conviction is, they’re living by it and changing lives.
They’re being kind. And it comes out in all sorts of ways. I heard about them buying coffees for random people and making that an activity for a day. I got to smile when I heard about the Easter event going so well and how not just one kid got a bike, but the brother of the winner also received a bike because he didn’t have one. And that’s the kindness they show. liveKIND fills in the gaps. When they hear of a need, they meet that need. Yeah, they may not be able to cure the entire world, but they sure are trying.
liveKIND heard about the medical bills that were rolling in with me. So they decided to put on a benefit dinner to raise $2,000. They ended up raising three grand. “What!?” I was overwhelmed. My family was completely taken a-back by their kindness. So maybe this organization is in the business of overly-extravagant kindness after all.
But let me tell you, the kindness wasn’t just shown in financial ways. liveKIND organized kindness that night. They put the word out there for the public and the public responded. I didn’t even eat that night because I was too busy talking with the 100 people that came out in support of me. And that is the wonderful kindness this organization delivers. They bring out kindness is others. To me, that’s a miracle.
So thank you for showing me kindness. And thanks for showing me how to be kind, whether it’s simple or extravagant. You’ve taught me that the most important part of it all is just to be kind in whatever way possible.
-greg