because matters… nice

story by | kathleen wrigley

My sister-in-law, Tanya, gave me a sign for Christmas last year. Its inscription is simple, but important. It reads, “because nice matters…”

We all know this. We don’t necessarily need any urging from others. Being nice is a bit like chocolate—one taste is never enough and it makes everyone happy. Kindness is contagious. And, it’s universally understood, no matter where you live or what language you speak. Mark Twain had it right, “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

It’s not always practiced, but it is valued by most. A couple of years ago I was part of a group email that got quite heated and mean. To their credit, many of the recipients went on with their day without engaging in the conflict. There were a select few who continued to provoke the group with their nasty replies. To add to it, the unkind responses were sent to “all” on the email