Tuesday, November 6, 2018

World Kindness Election Day

Today in the United States is midterm election day. Perhaps you already know that. I think if you live in this country and own a TV or have access to the internet or have a phone or drive down a street, it would be pretty hard not to know that there are elections going on. I'm not going to write about the election today, though. I posted a plea about voting back in May called Functional Democracy and I hope you read it. 

Today I want to call your attention to a holiday that's coming up next week. Tuesday is World Kindness Day. I not only want to talk about it because it's important, but because it's so much more important in this country and in this current political climate. There is, at this time in history, a sad juxtaposition between politics and kindness, so I've chosen today to talk about World Kindness Day.

World Kindness Election Day, a discussion about kindness on the day of midterm elections | Graphic property of BakingInATornado.com | #kindness #politics


One of the things we seem to have lost track of in this country is that we live in a global society. We share this earth. When our actions as a country become narcissistic, that doesn't happen in a vacuum. What we do in terms of treaties, the environment, relationships with other countries, it all has a ripple effect, it all affects others not only in their relationships with us, but with each other as well. If we retreat from a circle of allies, that circle gets stronger, with us on the outside. That has long term and far reaching implications. I say this all to make the point that kindness matters on all levels, in our homes, communities, cities, states, country and globally. 

But let's start small. Because it really is that easy. If you show kindness on a local level, if we all do, it changes who we are, how we live, and how we're seen on a much larger level. What we do on a microscopic level can produce macroscopic results. That makes it a lot easier to think about, doesn't it? 

There are already so many suggestions out there. Kindness rocks (wrote about this too in my post from June of 2017 called Everybody Should Get Stoned). are a fun way to brighten someone's day. Or pay it forward by paying for a stranger's coffee, or really, just share a Thanksgiving treat with your neighbors. Even those with trump signs in their yard (sorry, couldn't help myself).

Gobble Gobble Turkey Treats, a fun no-bake snack perfect for any Thanksgiving dessert table. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #chocolate #Thanksgiving

Gobble Gobble Turkey Treats
Gobble Gobble Turkey Treats, a fun no-bake snack perfect for any Thanksgiving dessert table. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #chocolate #Thanksgiving


There are all kinds of ways to make the world a better place. For today, let's all be sure to vote. Votes matter, they are the mechanism for making our morals and values heard on a national level. And on the way home, why don't we each find some small kindness we can do in our communities? Because actions matter too, they are how we make our morals and values heard on a local level.

 There's always more to say about kindness. Before you go, some other thoughts about World Kindness Day:

Dawn of Cognitive Script shares World Kindness and Elections
Jules of The Bergham Chronicles shares Kindness Matters
Jenn of Sparkly Poetic Weirdo shares What We Need to Know When It Gets Bad: Kindness Keeps Us Here.
Diane of On the Border shares That's How You Were Designed.



Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics







Gobble Gobble Turkey Treats
                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Ingredients:
6 Airhead Extremes multicolored candy strips
4 oz chocolate chips, chocolate bark or brown candy melts
10 marshmallows 
10 thin pretzel sticks
20 candy eyes
10 pepitas or sunflower seeds

Directions:
*Cut each candy strip into 5 triangles. Set aside.
*Press a pretzel stick straight down into the back of one flat side each marshmallow. Some of the pretzel stick must still be above the marshmallow. This will be the top.
*Melt the chocolate chips, bark or candy melt until smooth when stirred. 
*Dip each marshmallow into the melted chocolate and place onto parchment paper.
*Just as the chocolate is about to set, place 2 candy eyes onto the side of each marshmallow. Below that, press a seed into each to resemble a beak.
*Using the tip of a knife, place a little melted chocolate onto 10 of the candy strips. Use that chocolate to stick a candy strip, wide side of the triangle at the top, onto each pretzel half.
*Last, for each turkey, add a little chocolate to the backs of 2 of the remaining candy strips. Attach them to each side of the candy strip already on the turkey. The short side should be flush with the top of the marshmallow and the long sides should be placed up the pretzel, touching each other. 

14 comments:

  1. Start small. Even a smile will help! Thank you for this, Karen.
    Today and every day!
    And those treats are adorable!

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  2. My friend recently found a $5 bill taped to a vending machine with a note that said "Buy yourself a treat. You deserve it." How cool is that? It made her day. She used the $5 on treats for her and her kids and then taped a $5 bill from her own person up there! :-) It's the little things right?

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    Replies
    1. I can't even tell you how much I love hearing stories like this one. Thanks for sharing it.

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  3. "Because actions matter too, they are how we make our morals and values heard on a local level." Could not have said it better. It is always good to spread a kind word but even better to live our love out in actions.

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  4. While I am not much for 'world (fill in the blank) days', I totally agree that kindness is simple AND needed every day! Isn't it sad that we need a designated day to remember it? Thanks for the reminder!

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    Replies
    1. The world (fill in the blank) days are really just for fun. But I do think we need to give everyday kindness more thought.

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  5. These turkey treats cracked me up! Spread the kindness lady, I'll give you my address so you can drop some off.

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  6. It goes without saying that these past few weeks, in our country, have been full of horror. Will we be kind to ourselves today and everyday? I can only hope so. No matter how small, kindness grows as it feeds upon kindness. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. I like that "kindness grows as it feeds upon kindness". That's something to think about.

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