On Kindness

One of the kindest acts a person can do for another is to cradle someone who is vomiting. Consider if you will a scared child, who doesn't understand the sensation. Now, consider the child also being yelled at while gagging - the frantic running around, the scolding, or even punishment that follows. The fear, the pain - an otherwise necessary act has instant negative associations. Consider the same act combined with kindness - a mother cradling the same scared child allowing the vomiting to occur while offering gentle words of comfort. The same act can be associated with gentleness and comfort. There is plenty of time to teach a child the appropriate place to vomit, before they're grown. What else do we teach them about often involuntary bodily functions? What else do we teach them about how to respond to the sick and those most in need of kindness and comfort?