ST. A TODAY -- MAY 2017 ST A TODAY--MAY 2017 FINISHED COPY | Page 7

Living the virtues
VIRTUE OF THE MONTH: KINDNESS
By Gabriel Kraus
This month, we have been practicing the virtue of kindness. Kindness is showing
genuine concern for the well-being of others and anticipating their needs. You can
show kindness when you are friendly, generous, and considerate. Some examples of
kindness would be when you offer your time to community work, smiling when others
are sad or discouraged, and holding the door for people behind you. Another way to
show kindness is to take the time to help other people with their homework without
expecting anything in return.
Think of kindness as confetti; throw it everywhere you go.
PRACTICING THE VIRTUE OF KINDNESS
By Maureen Hannon
Practicing kindness can be a no-brainer for some, but it can be harder for
others for many reasons. Here are some ways you can practice kindness in
your day-to-day lifestyle:
1. Smile. Everyone likes a smile and being kind can lift one’s spirits and have
a positive impact on someone else.
2. Encourage others instead of criticizing. Trust me, it’s worth it.
3. Let someone ahead of you in a line. They will thank you, and may do the
same for someone else.
4. And….last but not least, a suggestion from my sister Katherine... If
someone is particularly unpleasant to be around, kill ’em with kindness. 
Be nice when they are mean and positive when they are negative. It will
either change them or infuriate them—and both are satisfying.
By practicing these methods, you are exercising your kindness, and
influencing others in your circle. They, in turn will be kind and influence
others. Those people will do the same, and so on. Not only are you making
the world a better place with your small acts of kindness, but also you are
influencing your community and starting a ripple effect that can change the
life of someone you might not even know.