My mother died right around this time 20 years ago: Oct. 8, 2002. She kept a little card with that saying stuck to our refrigerator as a reminder to herself and to her family that kindness is so important. The world can be a hard place; people are sometimes rude, selfish, unthinking, and ungrateful. A competent communicator pushes back against the negativity by spreading kindness and letting people know that they are valued.

The Paper: For this reflection, you're going to spend some time being kind. This doesn't have to cost any money; I understand that we're all feeling the strain of tight budgets! Here are some suggestions that are free:

• Call someone you haven't talked to in a while just to say hi
• Offer to do a chore for someone in your household
• Say "thank you" -- and mean it! -- to someone who often goes unthanked
• Text your friends something that you love about each of them
• Compliment someone on their outfit
• Write a note to someone and send it in the mail (OK, so this one costs a few cents)

If you're up for spending a few bucks, you could leave a DoorDasher an extra-big tip, pay for the car behind you in the Starbucks line, or donate some food/gift cards to our Food Pantry here on campus. The possibilities are endless! You should perform random acts of kindness for at least two people, with a final act of kindness toward yourself.

Once you've finished, write a short paper that discusses in detail what you did, why you chose to do it, and what the outcome was. Each act of kindness should get its own paragraph, and you can accompany your paper with pictures if you'd like!