Traveling Kindness on World Kindness Day

Having a bit of a week, aren’t we?

I’ve always found it convenient that the day of the first “Happiness is” (November 9) was so close to World Kindness Day (today, November 13). Because this week always ends up being a big one (to varying degrees), I have come to see World Kindness Day as the natural bookend of our celebration. (In our early years, we celebrated Joy Week, not just Joy Day.)

All this is to say, today is World Kindness Day and I wondered if I might do something for it. Then I remembered that in a few hours, I’m catching an international flight, further south than I’ve ever flown, and that I’ll be gone for almost two weeks. Which is to say it would be easy to try again next year.

Except isn’t the whole point of kindness that we don’t wait until it’s convenient?

Isn’t the point that we should be spreading love and hope and positivity now? I noodled on this as I stared at my unpacked suitcase and decided that there are lots of ways we can incorporate kindness into how we travel.

First and foremost, as someone who has been fortunate enough to travel internationally for work, I’ve built in a tradition of learning as much as I can about a place before I go. I try to crash course the language and I always read a book by a local author. Taking the time to learn a bit about a culture—especially as a white American abroad—feels like the bare minimum. It feels like a sign of respect to make the effort and I am so grateful for all I have learned through this process.

Next, think of all the people you interact with on a travel day. Taxi drivers, flight attendants, strangers in the terminal. Can you tip your driver a little extra? Can you say hello to the flight attendant? Is it an act of goodwill to actually pay attention when they review the safety instructions?

And your co-travelers? What a brief and brilliant thing—to be hurtling through time and space together. Who knows why they’re going where you’re going. Who knows how they feel about flying or traveling in general. Is this a fun occasion? Are they dreading it? Homesick or homeward bound? What if we defaulted to treating everyone with extra care?

There are countless viral videos of people behaving badly at airports or on airplanes. Simply put, travel can add tension and anxiety. But are there ways to alleviate that? Once, while waiting for a delayed plane with a dying phone, I was shuffling around the gate looking for an outlet when a woman saw me and correctly assumed my mission. “My phone’s almost full; come plug in here.”

Every time I travel with my (very tall) partner, someone asks him to help with their bag in the overhead bin. And every time he does. Effortless, simple kindness.

What if we could all behave this way? A looking out for one another? A finding ways to make things easier for someone else?

As if we were all in it together. Because we are all in it together.

At some point, I’ll pack. And when I step out the door, suitcase in hand, there will be a hundred ways for me to spread kindness. A smile here. An acknowledgment there. Sharing an outlet. Lending a hand.

For a moment in the midst of this week, I wanted to skip World Kindness Day. But I’m glad my second opinion reigned higher. I’m glad I remembered the whole point… that kindness is everywhere so long as we make an effort. That we have within us the ability to lighten someone’s load. That we should never, ever forget what a gift that is.

Happy World Kindness Day.