Extra Credit for Kindness

The world feels a bit dark with all the gun violence and political turmoil surrounding us, but I am choosing to focus on doing good works—on the small, human moments of kindness that still shine. Yesterday, in a grocery store parking lot, I helped a woman lift her walker into her trunk. She thanked me again and again, sharing that her ribs were broken, and promised she would pay it forward. I was reminded how even the simplest gesture can carry so much light.

These are heavy times, which is why we must shine even brighter, especially during the holidays. Kindness, compassion, and courage matter more than ever. And the best part? We can give them away—to those who are weary, grieving, or struggling — we create ripples of goodness. I like to imagine each good deed as an invisible “extra-credit point” in the great ledger of humanity—not for ego or recognition, but as love stored up, a spiritual savings account of grace.

When hardship finds us, those savings return as comfort and unexpected blessing—and we can share them with others. The holidays have always been about light breaking through darkness. So, let’s keep shining, keep loving, and remember: every kind act matters.