01.02.2026 | Friday in Eastertide

SIMPLE. ORDINARY. KINDNESS.
 
It was a chilly morning as we stepped into the garden. With the addition of our sweet Doodle girl, we have had to make a few adjustments to the lawn.
 
When we first moved into the Carondelet Cottage, the yard was a full expanse of warm-season Zoysia grass: thick, lush, and lovely. Over the years things changed, and we switched to cool-weather Fescue, which worked well until our newest little Doodle arrived. Our playful girl did quite a number on the grass.
 
After some research, we decided to try miniature white clover, and we didn’t look back. A quick mow twice a season, no brown patches, and a soft green carpet all year long. A dream come true for this old gardener.
 
With the start of a new year, I’ve been thinking a lot about resolutions. No matter your age, the turning of the calendar seems to invite reflection: what will we “resolve” to do differently?
 
Recently, I came across an article in The Washington Post suggesting that instead of resolutions, we set intentions. Intentions are guiding principles, gentle reminders of how we want to show up in the world. They help shape our behavior, clarify our values, and keep our hopes in focus.
 
Sometimes, though, it’s hard to distill all those thoughts and feelings into a single word. The Post even created an “intention word finder” to help. After answering a few simple questions, my word appeared: Kindness.
 
Kindness. Be kind. Kind.
 
What a different world this could be if we were all just a bit kinder. A bit gentler with each other. And with ourselves.
 
As Paul writes in Colossians: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
(Colossians 3:12)
 
It is a daily practice, like putting on a garment, reminding us that kindness is not occasional but continual.
 
Simple. Ordinary. Kindness.
My mantra for 2026.
 
“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
(Micah 6:8)
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