How I Have Been Shown Kindness by Others

By Sadie Robinol, 8th Grade
Damien Memorial School
Teacher: Gayle Pai

Imagine, you're new at a school where you don't know anybody, you're so nervous that your heart is racing and your palms are drenched with sweat. Your mind is just overwhelmed with thoughts, emotions, and questions. "Will I make new friends? What will people think of me? Where do I go? How are my teachers?" Usually no one includes the "new kid" in anything. But if you just say a kind word, talk to him, make him feel welcome, that student would feel forever grateful.

I have been that new kid this school year, and I liken the people I have met to Clarence T.C. Ching. His acts of kindness for his community impacted people in positive ways. My new classmates have been like him as their small gestures, words of kindness, and small welcoming actions have made me feel so grateful, like how the community must have felt when Mr. Ching developed things for them. One act of kindness they did was to simply just talk to me. They made me feel welcomed, comfortable, and glad that I had chosen to come to this school. They also made a huge impact on my life by inspiring me to be a kinder and better person to my peers. This new experience at a new school has been really different and crazy, but the people, my new friends, have made the transition here so much better.

An example of an act of kindness they have done was to simply just talk to me. On the first day, I saw a girl who was at the front of my line. All she did was wave and talk to me. Now, she's one of my closest friends. My biggest fear was not having any friends because that was something I often struggled with. Of course, I'm not fully comfortable yet, but I'm very close to being there because of people like her. By simply waving and just talking to me, my new classmates have helped me become more comfortable with my classmates, my teachers, etc. This girl was able to relieve my fear by just making conversation with me and by eating with me at lunch.

They made me feel welcomed, comfortable, and glad. Being in a new school means being in a new environment where you're surrounded by so many different people. When I started coming to this school, it took a lot of adapting and getting used to the changes that I wasn't used to. But everyday I learned more about mynew school and the people around me. Initially, I felt quite uncomfortable and a little upset that I was leaving all my old friends and coming here where I knew absolutely no one. Of course, I was also feeling excitement because this is a whole new experience for me and it could possibly change my life. As time continued, these emotions and feelings changed from being uncomfortable, nervous, and worried, to being glad I came to this school and feeling welcomed. That feeling of excitement still occurs to me as I walk through the front gates because I learn something new everyday. Having someone to sit with, to talk to, to be comfortable with, makes me feel so delighted and fortunate to have someone who is willing to welcome me into this new school and to introduce me to new people.

They have also inspired me to be a kinder and better person. A study shows that if you are shown an act of kindness, you will be more likely to "pay it forward" as your mood is enlightened; so by doing something kind for another person, they can pass the kindness on and on. This person who was kind to me began this "kindness chain" and has inspired me to continue being kind to others and I also hope to also be that light in someone else's life like this person has been to me. I am thankful and happy that someone spoke to me and made me feel welcomed here in my new school. It opened my eyes that being new somewhere is terrifying and extremely nerve wracking. I hope to be that warm and welcoming person one day and to become the new person's first friend. It's like how Mr. Ching thought of his community and to better the environment for everyone. These experiences I went through taught me to be thankful for the small number of kind people in the world.

To finish, even by doing the smallest of acts of kindness, you never know how greatly you can impact someone and change their life. By taking a little time out of your day to do an act of kindness, that person will feel so fortunate and grateful, and you too will feel glad that you made this person feel that way. A great example of kindness is Mr. Ching and his donations and contributions to our society. He has inspired lots of people to be kinder and to express generosity to our community. I learned that kindness doesn't need to be buying a house for someone or donating loads of money. People can perform just a small thing, one act of kindness they did was to simply talk to me. The act of kindness I was shown by students at my school was just being kind enough to talk to me, the new girl. It may not seem like it's much, but it meant so much. They made me feel welcomed, comfortable, and glad that I have these caring people in my school and class, and it inspired me to be a kinder and better person. I will always remember to be the person who talks to the new kid in school.