My Aunt Carolyn is very special to me. She endeared my heart when she was engaged to my uncle.  I was six, when she introduced me to my first movie. It was 1957, and the movie was the third release of Bambi.  My parents rarely went to the movies, so this was an extra special treat. I was also a flower girl in their wedding, another special time I will always cherish. I just loved that Carolyn became part of the family.  She dressed so fashionable and was also so kind to me.

My Aunt and Uncle took over my grandpa’s farm of 160 acres, a large herd of registered Guernsey dairy cows, and thriving farm market known for their quality produce, in particular, sweet corn and apples.  My aunt seems to have unlimited energy. She helped with the milking of the cows twice every day. Cows need to be milked every 12 hours, so there was no taking off when you were sick or tired. She cleaned her large farm house, cooked three meals a day, helped with the field work, especially their large produce garden that supplied their roadside stand and the food for their use, and she loved working in her flower garden. She worked the roadside stand from sweet corn season to pumpkin time.  They later constructed a building to house the farm market which was open from March through December.  Being a farmer’s wife is a never-ending job.

She also raised four children and found time to read them stories before their naps.  I remember when she was in labor with her fourth child, she refused to go to the hospital until she finished mowing their large yard and washing the kitchen floor.

Carolyn works so hard, it makes me tired just thinking about it, but I never once heard my Aunt complain about not having time. She always talked and still talks today about her life with such passion and satisfaction.

So, if there is anyone that does not have time to be kind, it would be my Aunt Carolyn.  Quite to the contrary, my Aunt Carolyn is one of the kindest people I know.  She has such a giving heart, three sizes too big.  Kindness is part of who she is; she is always using her talents for kindness.

I love random acts of kindness, but I believe it is a lot harder to incorporate kindness in everyday living.  When you live with kindness in your heart every day, you can change the world you live within.  How do you do this?  You do this by using the talent you were given and sewing those talents to your passions.  This is what I have learned from my Aunt Carolyn.  She has many talents, but there are four that are pivotal to her spreading kindness.  Overall, she spreads kindness by nourishing others.

One of Carolyn’s favorite ways to show love is through cooking, baking and canning.  From her zucchini breads, pecan pies or a jar of pickles; she loves to bake or can, not just for herself, but to give to others including her nieces and nephews, grandchildren, friends, neighbors and even the postman.   It is her way of nourishing people not just with food, but food wrapped in love.

Carolyn loves flowers, gardening, and making things grow.  But for her, flowers needed to be shared with others to make their days happier.  She decorated the church week after week, season after season, year after year coming up with new and creative idea that displayed a small sampling of God’s beauty for others to enjoy.  I love looking at her scrapbook of how she decorated her church for Christmas for over fifty years.

Carolyn has a passion for educating children about agriculture. Carolyn and Alvin opened their farm to school tours for over fifty years, reaching thousands of children. Children were given a chance to milk a cow; pet a calf, hold a duckling, chicken, or pig; pick an apple and were given a free carton a milk.  Money was never charged for these tours; it was their way of teaching children about farm life and sharing their passion.  A way of sharing everyday kindness.  It is her dream to convert her barn into an agricultural resource center for future generations.

Carolyn is a true caregiver, opening her heart, and if need be her home, to aunts, her mom and elderly friends without family. She would clean their houses, drive them to doctor appointments, cook and shop for them, but she went beyond tasks and always made them feel loved. My cousins remembering delivering many meals she made to many shut-ins.  She delivered food but also stayed and spent time with each person to cheer-up their day. She always made time for those in need.

So, how have you integrated kindness into your life? My Aunt Carolyn has done it by marrying her passions with her talents. She does not wait to be asked, she just makes the time.   She exemplifies everyday kindness and for that reason my Aunt Carolyn is this week’s Caring Heart award winner.

Thanks to Linda Wenck and Gloria Basse for contributing to this week’s article.  In Linda’s words, “My Mom is the kindest, most loving person I know. She is always thinking about how to help and make other people happy!”

Staying in Touch: Barbara Hirsh can be reached at info@LiveKinder.com and please sign-up for weekly kindness message at www.LiveKinder.com or follow LiveKinder on Facebook!