Negativity and selfishness gets great publicity in our social networking, indirect-contact society. You’d be led to believe the world’s running low on good people and that no one cares for or respects one another anymore. Their only concerns are themselves; and when they’re in need, no one is willing to lend them a hand without reward.
This is not the case. Kind, caring, selflessly-generous people still exist. Deborah Diesen is a shining example.
A writer as colorful as the illustrations accompanying her words, Diesen is the author of New York Times bestselling book The Pout-Pout Fish – named a “Top 10 Children’s Book” by Time Magazine. Beloved by families the world over, the adventures of her popular pouty fish have continued in a series of heartwarming tales.
Books The Barefooted, Bad-Tempered Baby Brigade, Catch A Kiss, Picture Day Perfection, Bloom, and Equality’s Call are proof Diesen creates touching stories above water as well. New stories like Bloom are sure to join them on lists of critic and reader favorites. While good at what she does, she’s also a good person and one who believes in helping others.
I asked Deborah Diesen to tell me about a time when she did something nice for someone she didn’t know. Here’s what she shared.
“I love books. I always have. Some books entertain me; others educate me; and many have changed my life. We all benefit from reading, children especially. The more that a child is surrounded by books and stories and reading, the more the world opens to that child.
So, I try to do my small part of doing a nice thing by semi-regularly leaving a children’s book in a Little Free Library. If you’re not familiar with Little Free Libraries, you can find info at littlefreelibrary.org. I know that eventually, some young person will see the book and take it home to enjoy it. It’s an easy act, but one that I hope might add a tiny bit to the reading ripple effect in the life of a child.
When asked about sharing an experience of doing something nice for someone I didn’t know, I was at first a bit hesitant to do so. For one, I didn’t have some big and noble kindness to give as an example. In addition, I felt a little uncomfortable with the idea of talking about acts of kindness, which I think should be done quietly and without any need for recognition.
But I decided to go ahead and share my example of a small act, in the hopes that it might help someone else think about the power and impact of their own small acts. Sometimes people put too high of expectations on themselves about what it means to do a nice thing, and they think they need to make a grand gesture, or to carry out their kindness through large amounts of time and/or money. Good intentions can sometimes bump into roadblocks, and then the kind impulse is abandoned. Instead of something big, there is nothing.
Better to begin with a smaller, softer thought.
The true strength of kindness comes from its tiny, granular nature. A few big rocks don’t make a beach, but a million grains of sand do.” |THIS
[Written by Mr. Joe Walker]
“We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.” – ‘We Are the World’
Start your week with a feel-good story! Read a new “Shining Example” every Monday at 8:00 AM!
