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During my childhood, my family spent many summer days on a mile-long island on a lake in southeastern Wisconsin.
Boating, sailing, canoeing, fishing, waterskiing, tubing, and swimming were part of everyday life there. Knot tying, outdoor cooking, handling boats, hauling gear, reading the weather — all of these were a part of learning the value of hard work and gaining a deep appreciation of nature.
Memories
Among my many memories of the island there was someone who loved everyone on it.
John, the spry old caretaker of the island, had an infectious laugh, an equally contagious sense of humor, and a larger-than-life character that always evoked a smile from whomever he met.
On this island — literally his little corner of the world — John consistently made people happy when they saw him.
It wasn’t so much what he said, but how he carried himself that made an impression on me, especially when I found out that he’d battled cancer early on in his life.
“Gimme five!” he’d say, holding out two open palms instead of one, trying to trick me into slapping both hands. “That’s ten!” he’d say with a bellowing laugh that rang in my ears.
With his countless jokes and stories and concern for each islander, he was a jovial person who clearly loved life and each person he encountered.
And when he died, the place of his memorial service overflowed with a staggering number of people who came to pay their respects to this man who had touched so many lives.
Positive effect
It was the first time I could visibly see the positive effects one life could have on so many.
John’s life was one example of jovial kindness I was blessed to witness growing up.
And it wasn’t the only one. Through my own parents and family members and friends, God provided me throughout my life with so many examples of people who show kindness to each person they meet, who live out kindness despite their own troubles.
Now, who do my own children have as examples that can have such a personal effect on their lives? Can I be such an example to them? Can I pass along the same kindness and joviality I experienced as a child?
Maybe not in the same exact way. I don’t have the same infectious laugh or witty ways as the old island caretaker. But I can try to emulate his joyful attitude and the gentle ways of so many others in my life who illustrate that continually showing kindness is a way of life.
A way of life
What we say matters. But how we say it and what we do matter even more. Our children notice our attitude and the way we carry ourselves, even in the privacy of our homes and in small daily actions.
• Do we pause our chores and truly listen when the children tug at our sleeves?
• Do we smile at the cashier in the store and every person we encounter?
• Do we open the door for an elderly person or someone who needs help?
• Do we make the sign of the cross and say hello to Jesus each time we drive past Him in the church?
These are tiny actions that matter, that our children notice, that help make our surroundings a little brighter.
Creating smiles
And why do we bother? Because it makes each person we encounter a little lighter, a little happier. Because it’s the right thing to do. Because it’s Jesus’ way. And we strive to continue on in the same vein as the saints who have gone before us.
“Never let anyone come to you without coming away better and happier. Everyone should see goodness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile,” said St. Teresa of Calcutta. “We will never know how much good just a simple smile can do.”
God puts us in charge of our own little corners of the world, our own little islands, our own little families.
“Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the action that we do,” said St. Teresa of Calcutta. “Smile at each other, make time for each other in your family . . . I find it sometimes very difficult to smile at Jesus because He can be very demanding sometimes. This is really something true, and there is where love comes — when it is demanding, and yet we can give it to Him with joy.”
If we each can focus on practicing daily kindness even with our own little families, our own little islands, we shouldn’t be surprised by how many lives God can touch through our actions.
Julianne Nornberg, mother of four young children, is a member of St. John the Baptist Parish, Waunakee.