Today I’ve been thinking about something that comes up more often than we realize—kindness and grace.
Life gets busy. Really busy. Between work, family, schedules, and the constant noise of everyday responsibilities, it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos and forget something that should come naturally: being kind.
We all have hectic lives, but somewhere along the way, kindness and grace often get pushed aside. We interact with countless people every single day—most of whom are just trying to do their job, get through their day, or quietly carry something heavy we know nothing about. Many people don’t ask for help. Some don’t know how. And some are simply exhausted.
If we paused and looked at things a little differently, we might realize that helping—whether through patience, encouragement, or simple understanding—should be the default.
I think about this a lot in my own line of work. In IT, I don’t know everything—and that’s okay. What I do know is where to find answers, who to ask, and how to work alongside others who have strengths I don’t. That mindset works great professionally, but I think we forget to apply it in everyday life when we’re dealing with people who are just doing their job.
Take a recent project at work where we were updating physical security. The guys who came out were exceptional—attention to detail, professionalism, pride in their work. When they were buttoning everything up and finishing wiring, they accidentally drilled through a wall and some paint flaked off on the other side.
That moment could’ve gone a couple of ways.
I could’ve gotten irritated. I could’ve made it a bigger deal than it needed to be. But instead, grace kicked in. The same thing could have happened to me. And I had to ask myself—how would I want someone to respond if I were in their shoes?
These guys work hard. They probably don’t hear “thank you” very often because it’s just expected—it’s their job. But if we’re honest, when we do a good job, don’t we all appreciate a pat on the back or someone saying, “Man, this looks great”?
I’ve also been trying to go to the gym every morning, and I notice how hard the employees at Planet Fitness work to keep the place clean and welcoming. But how often do we actually say something? Or do we just go about our day without a word?
Every morning, I stop at Panera to grab my tea—shoutout to the amazing Panera Sip Club. Yesterday, I noticed a guy working on the ice machine, standing on a ladder. I struck up a quick conversation and asked if the ice was out. He kindly told me it wasn’t and asked if I could wait just a moment.
I didn’t think much about it—until he climbed down and thanked me for asking. He told me people usually just reach under the ladder and grab ice without thinking.
That stuck with me.
When did we become a society of rude, angry people who can’t do the simple things? Saying please and thank you. Holding the door open for someone (and yes—this is also a cue for the next person to grab it so someone isn’t standing there forever). Respecting our elders.
And one of my biggest ones—we don’t have to agree on everything to be friends.
If you’re my friend, that’s it. I may not agree with everything you do, and you might not agree with everything I do—but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re part of my people. That doesn’t change.
When did we become so childish that we start unfriending people over beliefs? Social media can be a great thing—it lets us share memories, milestones, and moments with each other. But we don’t need keyboard warriors jumping in to diminish someone else’s joy. It really does come down to something we learned a long time ago:
If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
So if you’re out and about today—and chances are, you are—be kind. Do a random act of kindness. Sit with someone who looks lonely. Hold the door open. Say thank you. Give grace when it’s easier to give frustration.
Make the world a better place simply because you’re in it. ☕✨
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