Happy World Kindness Day. Seems like a rather inadequate, perhaps even inappropriate, greeting to those affected by the current bush fires. Am I even supposed to prefix WKD with the word ‘happy’?
I suspect when this day was launched back in 1998 it was not to be a greeting of happiness that wishing someone Merry Christmas has become. WKD is an acknowledgement that all it is not well in the world and that we need to work harder at making it better, and one way is to inspire acts of greater kindness.
A catastrophe will bring acts of greater kindness out in the open as offers of help are shared on and off line and acted upon. It is already happening in Queensland and New South Wales and will spread throughout the nation as we hear more of the devastation.
What happens after the fires are extinguished, after the firies are all rightfully thanked and congratulated, insurance claims settled, the blame game on why the fires were so catastrophic is replaced by other stories; does the acts of greater kindness continue or justly shift to the next catastrophe?
Structures can be replaced but the land, that grew crops, gave people their livelihoods, will take years to recover. It was only about 12 months ago that Gracemere residents were told to evacuate as fire threatened the town. Deepwater, Baffle Creek, Rules Beach were all locality names we were then familiar with, like Cobraball is currently. How are the land owners affected by the 2018 fires, that grew crops for their living, faring now?
Being a primary producer certainly is a tough business, managing through drought, flood, cyclones and fire. It was only in February this year that the north west of the state received biblical rainfall wiping out over 600 000 cattle which led to numerous acts of greater kindness to those affected.
While kindness is at our core, where it is directed is more likely to be temporary, maybe even moving from one catastrophe to the next. Thus, one knows not to expect the acts of greater kindness to continue, even if the suffering does. Fortunately, like kindness, resilience is also at our core, particularly evident within primary producers where distance and the largely uncontrolled environment they live amongst makes one more self reliant and very supportive of their neighbours, even if they are 100 kilometres away. Going someway to explain the commitment and community of the Rural Fire Brigade members.
On this World Kindness Day certainly be thinking of what acts of greater kindness can be provided for those (people and animals) affected by and fighting the current bush fires. Also think of ways you can continue to help those less visible in the media, who have been affected by disasters in the past and whose land that they make their living from is still recovering, long after their shed has been re-built with the insurance payout. Buying fruit, meat and vegetables from local farmer co-op’s is one simple way.
I’m sure you (as an individual and the organisation you work or volunteer for) can think of other ways that you can continue the kindness in the things you do not just today, but every day; what you buy, how and where you buy it from and finding out where those profits go. Share a few of your ideas of how we can create a kinder world. After all, can you think of a better day to start.