I love that the seed metaphor connected with you. We often forget that the growth happens underground before we ever see the bloom. Thank you for bringing such warm energy to the comments section.
What a great way to start the year, this is who we need to be for one another, kind, considerate, mindful, thoughtful, respectful and loving. Loved this piece.
What a beautiful piece. The thing that stands out the most is that the baker wasn’t giving to get anything back. She was planting seeds through genuine kindness. True altruism isn’t transactional, and yet kindness has a way of compounding, returning through human connection when it’s needed most.
I love the imagery of planting seeds. You are right that we might not see the harvest immediately but the growth happens anyway regardless of our expectations. Thank you for this beautiful reflection
These stories speak to the part of us made for connection, relationship, and love. We long to do good for one another, but fear so often interrupts those desires. Instead of caring for each other, we end up spending our energy trying to protect ourselves from what we’re afraid might be lost.
What might happen if we all paid it forward in just one small way today?
Well said Evan. A small step of kindness can come back maybe 10 15 years later who knows:) A little more love here and there and we create a beautiful world...
Glad it found you at the right time. Sometimes we just need the reminder that the gesture still counts, even when the connection feels distant. Thankyou for reading:)
Beautifully said. I often think and write about how little acts of kindness can change people’s lives. So we must not forget to also be kind to ourselves :)
This is a yes from me, because it captures something many people sense but struggle to articulate. Acts of generosity often look inefficient in the short term, yet behavioural research backs this up. A longitudinal study from the University of Notre Dame found that people who consistently practise generosity report higher resilience and stronger social support over time. That social capital tends to show up when it matters most, not when it is convenient. It also mirrors how trust compounds quietly, long before it becomes visible.
Exactly. We're wired for immediate returns, so generosity feels inefficient. But you can't engineer when that social capital convertsand that unpredictability is what makes it real.
Trust that only shows up when convenient isn't trust. It's just transactional courtesy.
I think this description of the benefit of generosity is close to hitting upon something deeply meaningful.
These are the problems I see with it. To have your good deeds be noticed and reap the benefits, you have to position yourself as an object of attention while performing them. This makes their performance quite easy to counterfeit, through attitude alone. Plus it excludes those who do them silently, or in ways not easily recognizable, from becoming beneficiaries.
Kindness is our superpower. I write this in every birthday card I send my grandchildren. I live it. It is my guiding force. I always make sure to tell people I help to pay it forward. This has allowed those reluctant to accept help to do so. This is giving while respecting dignity and planting a seed of hope in them that someday they will be the givers. It’s not always about money. Often it’s taking the time to notice people who are mostly invisible, introducing yourself, listen to their stories, validating them as human beings. I love the idea of planting seeds of fruit you often will never see. Just knowing you made someone’s day a little better is enough. What are we here for if not for each other? Lovely story and lesson. 🩵
You are doing an amazing thing by teaching your grandchildren about kindness. And its soo true that we are just human beings in the core and should help out each other. The feeling of making someones day better is one of the best id say:)❤️
Yes! All our kindness returns magnified. I believe this completely. 🌺 I especially love the vision of “planting seeds.” Thank to for sharing!
I love that the seed metaphor connected with you. We often forget that the growth happens underground before we ever see the bloom. Thank you for bringing such warm energy to the comments section.
What a great way to start the year, this is who we need to be for one another, kind, considerate, mindful, thoughtful, respectful and loving. Loved this piece.
Thankyou Wadzanai. Lots of love for you:)
Thank you <3
What a beautiful piece. The thing that stands out the most is that the baker wasn’t giving to get anything back. She was planting seeds through genuine kindness. True altruism isn’t transactional, and yet kindness has a way of compounding, returning through human connection when it’s needed most.
I love the imagery of planting seeds. You are right that we might not see the harvest immediately but the growth happens anyway regardless of our expectations. Thank you for this beautiful reflection
Reminds me so much of It’s a Wonderful Life.
These stories speak to the part of us made for connection, relationship, and love. We long to do good for one another, but fear so often interrupts those desires. Instead of caring for each other, we end up spending our energy trying to protect ourselves from what we’re afraid might be lost.
What might happen if we all paid it forward in just one small way today?
Well said Evan. A small step of kindness can come back maybe 10 15 years later who knows:) A little more love here and there and we create a beautiful world...
This is really beautiful and a heartfelt reminder of connection when it feels lost. I really needed to read this today, thank you so much 🙏
Glad it found you at the right time. Sometimes we just need the reminder that the gesture still counts, even when the connection feels distant. Thankyou for reading:)
Keep baking. 🙏
Thank you Amy for this beautiful write. It is true, when we give without expectations the rewards are innumerable.
I love it. I can feel your heart.
Thankyou Myriam:)))
Beautifully said. I often think and write about how little acts of kindness can change people’s lives. So we must not forget to also be kind to ourselves :)
Thankyou Jules. Ill head over and read yours as well:)
This is a yes from me, because it captures something many people sense but struggle to articulate. Acts of generosity often look inefficient in the short term, yet behavioural research backs this up. A longitudinal study from the University of Notre Dame found that people who consistently practise generosity report higher resilience and stronger social support over time. That social capital tends to show up when it matters most, not when it is convenient. It also mirrors how trust compounds quietly, long before it becomes visible.
Exactly. We're wired for immediate returns, so generosity feels inefficient. But you can't engineer when that social capital convertsand that unpredictability is what makes it real.
Trust that only shows up when convenient isn't trust. It's just transactional courtesy.
I think this description of the benefit of generosity is close to hitting upon something deeply meaningful.
These are the problems I see with it. To have your good deeds be noticed and reap the benefits, you have to position yourself as an object of attention while performing them. This makes their performance quite easy to counterfeit, through attitude alone. Plus it excludes those who do them silently, or in ways not easily recognizable, from becoming beneficiaries.
Unconditional love for all humans, animals, plants, minerals and more. It's the way forward.
Beautifully said:)
What a lovely story, Amy!
Thankyou for reading Caio
✨️🤍✨️
This was brilliant Amy, so refreshing seeing/hearing someone encouraging to lead with kindness. Grateful to have found you/your work and thank you.
Thankyou so much for your kind words Kai. It means a lot:)
So absolutely true, Amy. There is enough wealth in this world for everyone who practices Gratitude.
Kindness is our superpower. I write this in every birthday card I send my grandchildren. I live it. It is my guiding force. I always make sure to tell people I help to pay it forward. This has allowed those reluctant to accept help to do so. This is giving while respecting dignity and planting a seed of hope in them that someday they will be the givers. It’s not always about money. Often it’s taking the time to notice people who are mostly invisible, introducing yourself, listen to their stories, validating them as human beings. I love the idea of planting seeds of fruit you often will never see. Just knowing you made someone’s day a little better is enough. What are we here for if not for each other? Lovely story and lesson. 🩵
You are doing an amazing thing by teaching your grandchildren about kindness. And its soo true that we are just human beings in the core and should help out each other. The feeling of making someones day better is one of the best id say:)❤️
They call that paying it ⏩. That's how our society originally worked. Mother nature is forcing us to return to it.
Yes. Itll eventually come back to us two three folds:)