Lighten up, World Kindness Day is coming!

World Kindness Day is Nov. 13th. It's a day that needs to be recognized more than ever before.

What many people have witnessed during the pandemic is frustration, anger, short tempers and more. We see signs at fast food restaurants saying, "Be nice — these are the employees who showed up," or in stores saying, "We're doing the best we can."

But even the signs reminding us to be nice aren't working. We're seeing anything but kindness.

Here at NAMI Minnesota, we've been promoting "space and grace." It means giving others space to err, to be upset or mad. It means giving others grace so that our response to them is not filled with anger or frustration.

We give grace when instead of being upset at someone, we jump to the conclusion that this is a person having a bad day, that they are in a hurry and cut us off because they are racing to get to a sick child, that they didn't go when the light turned green because they are grieving and just weren't thinking in that moment.

Grace and space also apply to ourselves. It's a reminder that we're not perfect, that we aren't always at our best. It's accepting ourselves, loving ourselves unconditionally and having hope that we'll do better next time.

The Greek writer Aesop wrote that "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." After a tough two and a half years, we need more acts of kindness toward individuals and our greater communities. We can make a difference for one person, and for the greater good.

So, what is possible? Focus on individuals. Send a kind note to someone. Bring someone who is struggling a meal or rake their leaves. Ask the cashier or waitperson how they are doing, thank them for their work — especially if the place is understaffed. Bring needed items to a food shelf, donate blood, place a book in a free library,

So, what is possible? Focus on the greater community. Encourage an elected official to fund important programs that bring people together or support them living in the community. It could be fighting NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) for programs serving children and adults with mental illnesses. Donate to a nonprofit that does good work.

The important thing is to DO SOMETHING to make our communities a little kinder. Stop and think before posting a mean meme on social media, before yelling at someone who cut you off on the freeway, before being impatient with a person struggling to pay for their groceries.

We control how we respond. And if we respond with grace and space, and show kindness, we will feel better too.