Simple Kindness

“Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” (Alma 37:6)

I’d read the scripture many times, at home, at church, on my own. It was one we were all encouraged to memorize and keep close to our heart, a reminder that big is not always best.

The words would come to mind now and then as a simple thing might make my day a little better, a smile, a hug, a letter. Sure they were simple easy things that others did, but they didn’t make anything great come to pass. Really, how could my day being a bit better be something great. Great was moving mountains wasn’t it?

Still I trusted it was true.

My senior year of high school a church leader challenged us to find simple ways to make great things happen. So, myself and a group of friends took on the challenge. Our simple plan was to simply write anonymous notes to people in our school. We would slide them through the cracks on their locker door when no one was looking. A little note telling them something they were good at doing or something we appreciated about them, anything so long as it was positive and uplifting.

For months we wrote the notes, loving the thrill of figuring out what locker belonged to our individual targets. Our targets were chosen randomly and none of us shared with each other who we were writing to, on occasion we even wrote a note to another in our group. We took note of those around us and wrote something encouraging to brighten their day when we felt they could use it. He looks down today, I know she’s struggling with math, I haven’t seen so and so for awhile, they lost their big game. Once a target was selected and a note penned, the exciting moment of sneaking the note into the locker unnoticed would come. Oh, the tricks we came up with, coming to school early, staying later, getting a bathroom pass during class, leaning up against the locker while the hall was crowded and hoping no one saw the paper get pushed through the crack, sneaking through the school when we’d come to cheer our team on during a game.

We wondered at times if anyone cared about the notes at all and questioned if we should stop, but we all agreed it was fun to do even if no one appreciated it.

Towards the end of the school year the church leader, who had given us the challenge, pulled our little group aside.

“I need to tell you all this,” he said, holding back tears. “One of your school teachers came to me the other day and asked if I had you all write notes to students. I explained the challenge to him and afterwards he said ‘I just want to thank you and them, please thank them! One of my students has really been struggling, and hating life and himself. A note was left in his locker one day and it totally changed him. He felt wanted and noticed, it was all he needed to keep him from killing himself.’ I don’t know who the young man is or which one of you wrote the note. All I know is that your simple act saved a life!”

I was dumbfounded, a little note saved someone's life. What might have happened if we had not taken a few minutes to write some encouraging words to another? I didn’t want to think about the what if’s, all I knew was simple acts really could bring about something great.

Many years have passed since that profound moment in my life and I remind myself often that a simple smile or note or whatever it may be really can bring great things to pass. I have experienced it myself when I’ve been in deep depression and despair and a text from family or friend dings on my phone. It’s a reminder to me that I can keep going, that I will make it one more day. I smile even if at first it must be forced and I find someone else who needs a simple pick me up.

A little poem I found and memorized years ago, by Henry Burton, sums it up perfectly.

“Have you had a kindness shown?

Pass it on;

‘Twas not given for thee alone,

Pass it on;

Let it travel down the years,

Let it wipe another’s tears,

‘Till in Heaven the deed appears,

Pass it on.”

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