Day 11 of the 2026 A to Z Challeng Blog for the Letter K

It’s Monday! For many, it means back to work or school, possibly kicking and crying all the way, for others it’s just the start of another work week.

As a writer who usually works every day of the week, it’s another day to cross off the calendar and realize how close I’m getting to that end of month deadline. Of course, this Monday has extra significance for me since it’s exactly one week until my cataract surgery. Wow! So much to do and so little time to do it.

Today’s letter is K. I could talk about kings–Canadian’s have one, well actually we share one with the UK and the Commonwealth. King Charles III is our official head of state represented in country by a Governor General whom the Prime Minister selects. They have a five year term that can be extended. Enough about kings. I could’ve chosen to write about kisses, the people kind, not the chocolate ones although for those who like chocolate Hershey’s makes the best chocolate kisses.

As for people kisses, well, let’s be honest. Like good days and bad days, you can have good kissers and bed ones. Those early kisses in your teens could be so awkward. Remember braces? And then there were sloppy kissers who left half your face wet, not pleasant at the time, but when those sloppy, messy wet kisses came from grandbabies who kissed with their mouths open, they were quite pleasant.

As a romance writer, I have to use words to describe those perfect kisses, the ones that curl your toes and leave you wanting so much more. Converying the feel and texture, the taste and pressure of tongues sparing isn’t always easy. But, when it comesright down to it, nothing beats a great kiss.

What I’m going to focus on this morning is kindness. Kindness isn’t just a word or an ephemeral attitude. It’s tangible and can be seen in the way we treat everyone around us. The smile we share with a stranger doesn’t cost anything but can make a big difference in their lives.

Being kind isn’t hard. You’ve got a cartful of groceries and the person behind you has two items?Be kind and let them go ahead of you. The few minutes it takes for the cashier to ring up the sale isn’t really going to affect you, but it could help them.

In today’s world, we rarely take the time to consider what someone else’s life is like. People are amazingly good at keeping it all together, but many face all kinds of issues, and financial insecurity, homelessness, health concerns, and family issues are often behind that cold shoulder or snippy comment. We don’t know what kind of issues someone has, so we should always try to be kind.

Kindness doesn’t judge. It just offers that smile, kind gesture to make the day better for everyone. Here are a few famous quotes about Kindness:

• “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” — Aesop
• “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” — Unknown
• “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” — Mark Twain
• “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” — Dalai Lama
• “Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.” — Bob Kerrey
• “A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” — Amelia Earhart
• “How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment, we can start now, start slowly changing the world!” — Anne Frank