I write this with my little one fast asleep beside me. While I enjoy this quiet time to work and think, my mind still races about her supplies running out, her next meal, and, believe it or not, the kind of world she’ll grow up in. I believe that last one is an unspoken worry every parent carries, often buried in our children’s everyday needs.

Lately, there’s been a constant call for kindness in action, in speech, even in thought. With the passing of 19-year-old content creator Emman Atienza, I can’t help but wonder why small acts of kindness now feel rare when they should simply be part of who we are. Has kindness become our second option?

I think about this more often as I raise a child here in the Philippines, a country that continues to endure literal and political storms that affects everyone’s mental health and personal life. As my little one continues to sleep beside me, here are a few more thoughts on kindness and mental health.

Please allow me this moment to think out loud.

Continue reading “The Call to Kindness: A Mom’s Thoughts on Raising Kids in an Unkind World”