Spend a few minutes scrolling social media, and you might start to think that people have forgotten how to care about one another.
Every day, we’re fed a steady diet of conflict, outrage, division, and bad news. It’s easy to believe that’s the whole story.
Thankfully, it isn’t.
This month, several families around Dripping Springs shared stories about the children in their lives, and I’ll be honest, they left me feeling pretty hopeful.
Not because these kids did anything flashy. Quite the opposite.
What stood out was how naturally kindness seemed to show up.
One teenager, a childhood cancer survivor preparing for her senior year of high school, decided to collect stuffed animals and create handmade cards for children undergoing treatment at Dell Children’s Hospital. Having spent years in and out of procedures herself, she understood something many adults forget: Sometimes comfort comes in small packages—a stuffed animal, a note—a reminder that someone cares.
Two young sisters, ages 6 and 9, have made it their mission to help their 83-year-old neighbor. They walk her dog. They take her trash to the curb. They do the little things that, to their neighbor, probably don’t seem so little.
Then there’s the 11-year-old boy who was working in his family’s garage when he noticed two housekeeping workers struggling with a vehicle that wouldn’t start. Without being asked, he grabbed jumper cables, helped get the car running, and sent them on their way. His parents didn’t even know about it until later because, in his mind, it wasn’t a big deal.
And maybe that’s exactly the point.
For him, helping wasn’t an event; it was simply the next thing to do.
Another young girl noticed a neighbor adjusting to life with a new baby. Instead of assuming someone else would help, she grabbed gloves and a bucket and started pulling weeds in the summer heat. Her reasoning was refreshingly simple: The mom needed rest, and babies shouldn’t be outside in the hot sun.
No committee meeting. No social media announcement. No expectation of recognition.
Just action.
As I thought about these stories, I realized they all shared something important. None of these children were looking for credit. They weren’t building résumés or checking volunteer hours off a list. They simply noticed people.
A child facing medical treatment. An elderly neighbor. Someone stranded with a dead battery. A tired new mom.
They noticed, and they cared.
Maybe that’s the lesson.
Kindness isn’t always about doing something extraordinary. Most of the time, it’s about paying attention. Looking up. Seeing people. Refusing to walk past a need when you have the ability to help.
The good news is that kindness is still alive and well.
The even better news is that our kids seem to understand that better than many adults.
And if these young people are any indication of what’s ahead, I’d say we’re going to be just fine.
After all, kindness spreads the same way it always has—one person deciding to go first.
Start first.
Kindness isn’t always about doing something extraordinary. Most of the time, it’s about paying attention. Looking up. Seeing people.