If you could choose one word to be described as by your peers, what would it be? Some students might choose to be called athletic, funny, or intelligent. Others would prefer to be pretty, creative, or brave. In my opinion, it is far better to be known as a kind person than anything else. How a person treats those around them explains a lot about their character. Although kindness is character-building, it is not only a character trait. Choosing to be kind is a daily decision to go out of your way to put others’ needs before your own. It is not always convenient, but it can change someone’s day far more than you might realize. Simply holding the door open for another student, or sharing your lunch with someone who forgot theirs can brighten that person’s day. These examples may sound cliche, but they are extremely common situations seen at Dover High School.

     In this twenty-first century world, people have forgotten how to be kind. Life has become about what I want, or what I need instead of the focus being on others’ needs. This mindset has a considerable impact on our school’s atmosphere whether we realize it or not. To improve this, a group effort must be made to transform our community. The simplest way to bring about a change in attitude is for each student to take the time to look for opportunities to help a classmate or pass along a compliment. Start a conversation with another student you do not know very well, or invite a group of underclassmen to sit with you at lunch. Even the most simple deeds such as being respectful to your teachers, other students, and your friends can show others the value of kindness. Simply listening to your peers and focusing on the people around you can leave a positive, long-lasting impact on our school. 

     As a school, we could all do better at being kind. It does not take much to be more friendly to the people you see every day. No matter what you believe, our school is what we make it. We get to choose what happens here, and each of us can make a daily decision to treat people with kindness and respect. Abby Herman, a sophomore at Dover High School believes, “It is important to be kind to those around you because you never know what people are going through. A lot of people are hurting, but they put a different face on while at school. You could turn someone’s day around with one random act of kindness, whether you realize it or not.” The point of performing acts of kindness should not be to draw attention to yourself, but rather to be kind even when others aren’t watching. Like Aesop said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Choose to be kind because it is the right thing to do, not to be praised for your actions. The moral of the story is that kindness pays off. Making another person’s day improve is a far greater reward than recognition will ever be. Take a look around, and you will soon see the difference a little kindness can make in your daily life.