by Olivia Kay

Created on: March 22, 2009

Showing compassion to others in words and actions is one of the greatest gifts you can give to those in need, those people whose spirits or hearts are broken and who are overcome with dispair due to a single or a series of unfortunate events. Compassion is best learned through observation and experience as showing it can be done in a multitude of ways in a wide variety of circumstances of life. Displaying compassion and allowing your children to participate in benevolent acts can be a great way for them to see the difference they can make in the lives of others and the positive impact they can have on the world.

We come in contact with those in need every day of our lives, whether we take the time to truly realize it or not. These needs may be physical needs such as food, shelter, a chance at employment, or healthcare or mental or emotional, such as the need for a friend, the need for a reason to smile, or the need to be able to deal with the loss of a loved one. There are so many things that can be done to help the needy, and sometimes it's just as simple as a smile, a few kind words, or a listening ear. By simply taking the time to notice those around us, we can learn to see the needs around us, and what we can do to help. When someone is able to do this nearly automatically without much thought in every aspect of their life, they are well on their way towards adopting compassion as a way of life, a trait they'd likely be very interested in passing on to their children.

Children learn through observing and imitating those around them, anyone older than them that they trust and respect, especially their parents and other family members. If we make helping others in need and showing compassion a part of our daily lives and involve our children in our projects, for example, putting together care packages during the holidays or various other times of the year for the homeless, relatives, neighbors, etc. or visiting the elderly, children are likely to learn the importance of these acts and want to continue them themselves both in childhood and as adults.

Being a part of a church community or volunteering with community organizations are great ways to get started with getting involved in acts of compassion although neither is a requirment. However, being a part of a church or community organization gives your children more opportunities to both see others display and participate in acts of compassion themselves.

Remember that showing compassion is not difficult, is simply just caring about those around us and wanting to help those around us. By committing our lives to compassion and matching our actions accordingly, our children are likely to follow in our footsteps and feel the same intrinsic fulfillment that we do when we lend a helping hand.

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