Getting Along 101

It’s 3:00 AM. Stella, my elderly dog, got me up to go out and when I climbed back in the bed, I gathered my pillow to myself and around the pillow I laced my fingers. The prayerful posture of my hands prompted me to say, “Okay, J…” but before I got it all out, His answer came to me…

“Teach kindness in school.”

My former priest once told me that his grandson took him on a tour of his preschool and pointed out to his grandfather, “This is where we are taught how to be kind.”

Well, why not? Is there any Constitutional, practical, or financial reason to not teach attitude in school? I am not advocating pushing any particular religion or creed…or religion, at all. In fact, is there a religion or creed or belief system that promotes hate? (No, The Islamic Religion Does Not Promote Hate. Do your homework.) I daresay, even humanism allows, if not promotes and encourages, skills which support survival of the species.

I consider the skills to get along to be basic practical education. Kindness, patience, forgiveness,… these are basic skills required for survival. I would add compassion, tolerance, cooperation, and responsibility for one’s actions and behavior. Teaching these skills does not break any laws that I know of, nor does it force one to acknowledge belief in a God or even a false god.

If balancing one’s checkbook can be taught in school (which I think is a really great idea), ‘getting along’ should also be taught in school.

When I was in high school, in American Government class, there was a quote on the bulletin board that helped formulate my basic beliefs concerning my fellow man, “Your rights end where the next person’s begin.”  (attributed to Alexi de Tocqueville)

I have never encouraged the spread of an idea before, but, considering the source of this one, I am doing so now. Pass this on. Re-post it. Share it. Email it. Make the t-shirt. Preach on it. Tell your friends. Write to your Congressman. Write to the President. Tweet it. #TeachKindness


Thank you, Jesus.  To You be the Glory; it was your idea.