27 April 2021 – Tim McGraw recently released “Here On Earth: Ultimate Edition.” In 2020, he released “Here On Earth,” containing most of the songs on this new album. Since there were new songs on the 2021 version, I decided to listen to the whole album today. It’s interesting how the lyrics hit differently when your world is different, and you are different. One of the songs on both versions of the album is “Hold You Tonight.” The last time I listened to this album, I listened to the lyrics and understood the song is about a constant, undying love of a man for a woman. This time when I listened, I heard only about half of the chorus. The lyrics I heard made me think about being kind.

The lyrics I am referencing:

...Cry every single tear you need to cry
 I can't fix the world
 But I can hold you tonight...

These lyrics made me think about how much we all need some kindness. Many of us are hurting, so many of our friends and family are hurting, our world is hurting. Isolation, Racism, Poverty, Fear, Despair, Abuse, Violence, Pollution and Apathy. Here’s the thing though, I can change it, we can change it. We can heal each other and our world. Not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but we can make it better every day if only we try. Many of us are guilty of saying, “I can’t fix it. I don’t know how. At least I don’t cause harm. I am just one person. What can I really do?” If I could, I would want to reach out and say I can hold you tonight to every person I meet. I would dry every tear and hold each person until it was all fixed. That’s not reasonable. What can I do?

I can make the world better by being better. I have the ability to offer a smile or two or ten. What if I cut the neighbor’s grass when I cut my own – just because? I could make lasagna or cookies or bread for my friends. Or, I could send a note to a friend just to say hello. How about if I had my mother’s favorite snack delivered? What about if I left some cash for someone random. I have the ability to put sunshine into someone’s day. We all do.

Some of my warmest feelings have happened when someone did something nice for me just because and expected nothing in return. They are only being kind. It’s especially heart-warming when a stranger does it or when it is completely unexpected. When is the last time I did something like that for someone else? Each time I spread love and kindness to another person, they are warmed. “It only takes a spark to get a fire going!” (Shout out to one of my favorite camp and church songs, “Pass It On.”) I believe that in the same way that violence begets violence, kindness begets kindness. I will let someone know, “I can hold you tonight.”

Tomorrow, April 28, happens to be Pay It Forward Day. Pay It Forward Day exists to encourage people to stand for kindness out of the goodness of their hearts! The mission is to inspire acts of kindness on this day to show how one small act of kindness can make a big impact in the world.