Day 2 – get to know people
It can be really easy to make assumptions about people based on what we think we know about them. Or what we have been told about them. But these views can stop us from getting to know them as real people. So often, putting aside prejudices and preconceptions allows us to find we have more in common than we ever dreamed possible.
I recently heard this wonderful example of kindness during World War 2 that let to a connection that no-one could have imagined. It was told to me by a work colleague. This is what he told me:
“My 90 year old Gran decided to take up a new skill during the first lockdown and began writing. During the last 18 months she has written 2 unpublished books. In one of the books she shares about life during World War 2.
“On Christmas Day the family she lived with would have prisoners of war join them for Christmas dinner. She shared how she got to know that so-called enemies are in fact just normal people. People who were keen to share photos and tell stories about their families back home in Germany.
“The kindness of hosting the so-called enemy led to a greater understanding of each other as people.”
How has showing kindness to someone else helped you to get to know them better? Let me know in the comments or send me a message to tell me your story,