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Bill Leslie: Season for Kindness

Growing up, all three Leslie children knew what the rules were and the consequences for not following them.We should always be kind to others. We should take time to visit with people who might be lonely or hurting. We should stand up for what's right and just.

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Charlotte, Bill, Miriam, William, Stephanie Leslie
RALEIGH, N.C. — My parents were not stern disciplinarians. However, Charlotte and William Leslie did have a code of ethics. All three Leslie children, Stephanie, Miriam and myself, knew what the rules were and the consequences for not following them.

This is what my parents expected of us. We should always be kind to others, especially older people. We should take time to visit with people who might be lonely or hurting. We should stand up for what’s right and just. We should never make fun of others. We should be honest and fair. We should work hard at everything we do. Plus, my father told me to always hold the door for strangers.

I was reminded of my father this week when I held the door for four or five people at the post office on Wrenn Drive in Cary. It became quite humorous when others insisted on holding the door for me with my bundle of packages. We all laughed at the comedy of the moment.

Later that day my wife Cindy shared with me an anonymous essay she read on social media. I’m sure my parents would approve of this Season for Kindness challenge.

As the world fights to figure things out, I'll be holding doors for strangers, letting people cut in front of me in traffic, saying good morning, keeping babies entertained in grocery lines, stopping to talk to someone who is lonely, tipping generously, calling you by the name on your tag, waving at police, sharing food, giving children a thumbs-up, being patient with sales clerks and smiling at passersby as often as I am provided the opportunity, buying a total stranger a cup of coffee.
Because? I will not stand idly by and live in a world where unconditional love is invisible.
Join me in showing love, judging less. Find your own way to swing the pendulum in the direction of love.
Be kind to a stranger today and everyday. It just may be a friend you have never met. Pay it forward for any kindness shown to you in the past.
Be the change! Be the light! Start today!

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