Weekend Wisdom - June 22nd-23rd, 2024

Kindness 101

I am a big fan of Steve Hartman of CBS News. On any given Friday near the end of the newscast, Steve is "On The Road," featuring heartwarming stories from across our country. And in the times we live in, any story that is "heartwarming" is really welcome at the end of the week.

Over the course of the past 20 years, Steve has logged story after powerful story from every corner of these United States.

A year or so ago, he parlayed those "On The Road" segments into "Kindness 101" on the CBS Mornings program. He has enlisted the help of his children (daughter Meryl and son Emmett) to revisit the subjects of his "On The Road" segments and highlight various elements of kindness. Son Emmett defines the attribute, they show a clip of the segment, then Steve and Meryl interview the subject in present time and reflect on how the attribute made a difference in their life and the lives of others.

YouTube is the keeper of all the "Kindness 101" episodes to date. I encourage you to "crawl down the digital rabbit hole" and watch as many of these wonderful episodes as you can. It sure beats watching challenges of kids trying to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon or watching someone make Nyquil chicken. To the right you’ll see a list of some the "kindness" topics to peruse on the internet by searching for "Kindness 101."

I learn something every time I watch one of these segments and see them as a "road map" to lead a more Christ-like life. Take a moment from binge watching Bridgerton! Better yet, sit down with family members, watch an episode(s) and talk about how that specific attribute is or can be more prevalent in your life. Where are you strongest? Where are you weakest?

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." -Ephesians 4:29

Meryl ends each "Kindness 101" episode with a cheery "Until next time...stay kind" - wonderful advice for us all.

With kindness, Brant Bergeron

Empathy

Vision

Friendship

Altruism

Purpose

Character

Leadership

Respect

Stick-to-itiveness

Comfort

Optimism

Compassion

Enthusiasm

Joy

Humanity

Reciprocity

Reverence

Honesty

Courage

Embracing

Wonder

Sportsmanship

Determination