Want to be kind? Just "be" with someone.

I visit my parents. In my mind I refer to them "on the edge of 90" because in their last years of their eighties now, well, they are. We sit quietly. I read to them. We quiet down again. We watch the birds outside the sliding glass door, and muse. When I ask what I can get for them, what I can do for them, they simply say, just be with us. That is what they want. No material things, no new gadgets or fancy cooking. Just sit and love them. Share precious gentle moments. When I spend time with children, again - it's not what or how I'm DOING something with them. They really don't care which one of my picture books I choose to read to them, nor what student activity they will be given. They revel in the time that I'm JUST WITH THEM. Paying attention, being attentive, sharing, smiling, loving. Stepping back to look at the bigger picture, our world is a mirror of this. We all may crave admiration and attention, but the true way to connect is through just being with another. So whether you are a writer or an avid reader, spend a little time with a child or another - and sure, bond over a good book, but heed and hold on to that gift of sharing in its peaceful background silence. Dozy Poems, Cozy Days: Poems to Calm the Active Child