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Circle of Kindness

My opening letter noted how “kindness,” found in our mission’s third paragraph, speaks to the core essence of a good man, a man who is gentle and respectful, humble and giving, selfless and thoughtful. 

In our world today, we hear so much, so regularly, about violence, aggression, and disrespect. This can lead to a hopeless sense of helplessness, a feeling of a breakdown in fundamental civility. Kindness, though, is a powerful antidote. Kindness begets kindness. It is contagious. The kinder we are to others, the more we experience it ourselves - and the effects of that kindness ripple outward and touch others in ways we can't even imagine. 

Last week, an alumnus from the Class of ‘08 visited Saint David’s and gave Chapel to the eighth graders. In his talk, he reflected upon the events of 9/11 and the feeling of absolute chaos, fear, and violence that surrounded him—except when he was within the walls of Saint David’s where he felt safe, cared for, and protected. He was in second grade. He told the boys that it was the values celebrated then and instilled in him throughout his successive years at Saint David’s that carried him forward, empowering and guiding him. He knew what “good” looked like. He knew what “good” felt like. 

This experience and his time at Saint David’s so deeply affected him that he knew he wanted to be a part of making the world a better place. Sure enough, after graduating from college, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for two tours of duty as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan, up to and including the U.S. withdrawal. He experienced so much, but held firm to and used his values to guide him through. Married this summer, he is now enrolled at Columbia Business School. 
Recently, while taking a class, this alum ran into another Saint David's alum—about ten years his senior—who, it turned out, also served in the military. They got to talking and discovered that not only were they both Saint David’s boys who had served, but also that the older alum, while on duty in Iraq, had received a letter through Operation Gratitude—a long-standing Saint David’s letter writing campaign to active service members stationed overseas during the holidays—from a young Saint David’s boy and that that boy was the man now sitting in front of him. Now, in the famous, albeit slightly altered words of Mick Dundee in Crocodile Dundee, “that’s a circle!” Two men connected through time by their school, their service, and an incredible, simple, but profound act of kindness.I told this story in Chapel yesterday because it illustrates a universal truth: we may never know exactly where an act of kindness will lead, but it always, and with certainty and conviction, will lead toward the good. So in this crazy, chaotic world, we can take back control by applying the most powerful antidote we all—no matter our background or current circumstances—possess: kindness. It’s that simple. 

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