My son is a medical marijuana user, to help stem the chronic pain and anxiety he experiences as a result of his muscular dystrophy.

He had tried everything to no avail. Then he decided to investigate the medical marijuana route. And we went investigating..

We stumbled on a Magic Butter Maker, to make food items out of it. When when that didn't work (his swallowing issues have intensified), we moved onto an expensive vapourizer, but his decreasing lung strength soon made that impossible.

So he is now onto tinctures, a much better avenue for him, personally.

So what does this have to do with kindness? Well, after two failed attempts (and about $500 out of pocket), we had two lovely devices left over. So we put it out for sale..

A woman offered to buy the Butter Maker for her son, who was stricken with Rheumatoid Arthritis. When they arrived at our house, my heart melted: there she was, with her son all wrapped up in walking braces, to help keep him mobile against a disease that is cruel and harsh. And mom was beaming, having found something they could use (the full cost of the machine was out of reach).

And there we all stood, in the middle of the living room, silent at first, two moms, with their sons by their sides, both fighting insurmountable odds. I fought to hold back my tears. Kindred spirits, we were, destined to always be on the outside looking in.

Not many people have touched where we have touched, I thought to myself. It is an odd gift in its own odd way, I suppose. I like to see it like that anyway, when the going gets real tough.

They were very excited to try the Butter Maker, in all its simplicity. So we sold it for less tahn half price. Then I asked if they knew of anyone who needed a vapourizer...we had one for sale..

"Well, my brother-in-law has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's.....how much do you want for it," the mom asked.

I turned to Tristan to let him decide. It was, after all, his purchase out of pocket, from his small disability check.

"You can have it," Tristan said. "Please take it. You have someone who needs it. And it is Christmas. I want you to have it, for free. I want to do this for you."

I have raised my boy well. No. He has raised me well, as he continues to teach me about selflessness, and kindness. I am witness to his teachings, not the other way around. He is often the parent here.

Every Friday in my Warrior Woman Coaching Program, we 'check in' to see how we did, and we rate ourselves on a scale of 1-10: how did you do with Fitness, Nutrition, and Kindness. I added in Kindness as a part of our healthy living journey because it is sooo important to good health, inside and out. To be kind, really kind, when it matters, to others, strangers, extending yourself, is what is going to heal this world. And it all starts with one small gesture, as seen in my living room that night, in an exchange between two young men, both with painful, life limiting diseases, who knew each others angst, and who, in one brief exchange, showed us the power of kindness between strangers. 

We are all kindred Spirits, to be sure. We all feel pain, fear, sadness, and doubt, and we all have the capacity to bring forth so much, and to heal at a deep, deep level. Let us not forget this, as we traverse through dangerous times, through much fear and pain and uncertainty. Let's not always focus on what's wrong, let's focus on what is right. Truly right. Let's shift our eyesight for just awhile, and see what road that leads us down. We often forget this simple choice we can all make in our daily lives. We CAN shift the energy. We transform lives, here.

All it takes is one act of kindness at a time.

That is what my son has taught me. 

- karen