When my daughter Grace was a little girl she gave me a small philodendron plant for my office. Philodendrons do very well in low light, which was good because the office window was stained glass. The plant did very well in that light.

When I came to Elmwood, of course the plant came with me; it is a precious reminder of a little girl’s love. The office here is much larger and sunnier. With more room I decided to divide the plant into several pots. A quick internet search yielded all the necessary information. The plant in the large pot was originally one long, sparse strand. It just made its way along the top of the shelf. It wasn’t sick or anything, it just looked scraggly.

Then one day I came in to discover that someone had looped the strand over the top of the pot. What could that hurt, I wondered, so I left it alone. Soon the leaves got bigger, branches grew from the main stem, the plant filled in. In a few weeks what had been one long lonely strand had grown into a full and lush plant. Just from someone looping the strand over the top of the pot.

Small kindnesses often have a great impact on people’s lives. A kind word can make all the difference. We have all spoken and received kind words. There are so many ways to show kindness. Send someone a card or letter. It is exciting to look in the mailbox and see something handwritten from a friend. When you cook, why not make a little extra so you have something to share. During this time of socially distancing, we can’t very well invite people anywhere, but when we go grocery shopping we can call someone to see if they need anything.

We know how good it feels to receive such kindness, but we don’t always see the effect we have had. That’s ok too. Sending goodness and kindness out into the world is a blessing for the one who gives and the one who receives. Such is the Realm of Heaven.