Happy New Year to you! As I watched the ball drop in Times Square NYC on its plummeting countdown to 2017, I learned that this year’s Waterford crystal design theme is “Kindness”, revealed at its unveiling a few days ago:

“Waterford’s 2017 sentiment, unveiled at a Dec. 27 ceremony in Times Square by Waterford master artisan Tom Brennan, is a timely one. The theme: The gift of kindness. Brennan says the theme was not specifically intended as a response to recent political developments around the world, but take from it what you will.”  Article from Quartz by Anne Quito

From Waterford’s website:

“Each of the design patterns on the Waterford Crystal triangles, has been inspired by the theme of international generosity. The series is called “The Greatest Gifts” Collection, which began in 2014 with the “Gift of Imagination”.

For 2017, the newest celebratory theme is the “Gift of Kindness”, honoring the spirit of charity and compassion, all in the name of promoting understanding, and strengthening the bonds of humanity.

The pattern itself has been designed with touching rosettes, supported on a base of olive cuts and rich diamond cutting. The pattern captures a sense of unity and togetherness, as the ends of each rosette reach out to form a chain or bonding circle in an expression of kindness.”

There is kindness in the air. Do you feel it? This week, I too employed the theme in my first poem for the week. Did I know that kindness would be the theme for this year’s ball drop celebration? Well, nobody knew until the 27th of December when it was unveiled. And yet the idea, the theme of “kindness” and our longing for it has been rumbling below the surface for a while now.

It’s the perfect theme, the extreme pendulous response to a year that fomented in all things not kind: terrorist attacks, personal vendettas, lies, slander, name calling, violence, rage, boastfulness, hatred. It is an understatement to suggest that humanity could use a little kindness these days.

As simple as kindness is, it is no simple or little thing. It has the power to change lives, and so often does it in ways we will never know. Acts of kindness are so easy to do. It costs very little, requiring just a spark of good intention for others. We may hold a door, smile, offer a place ahead of us in line, say an encouraging thing, leave the last cookie for the next person, offer to carry another’s load…you know there are so many ways to do it…to be kind.

I will end this week’s summary the way I started it: please be kind. As I suspected, this theme, this gift, is definitely in the air. I can’t think of anything we need more.

Peace, love and kindness y’all.

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 1 January 2017

please be kind
when you tell it
remember to give them space
true joy can be known
it takes a bit of prep, but it is so worth it
leaving a trail of stardust to guide us home
delays one’s senectitude
it’s an advantage
it gives me hope that maybe I’m not crazy after all
i’ll do good if i can remember to breathe

~kat

A shi sai or ReVerse poem is a summary poem with a single line lifted from each entry of a collection of work over a particular timeframe and re-penned in chronological order as a new poem. Unlike a collaborative poem, the shi sai features the words of one writer,providing a  glimpse into their thoughts over time. I use it as a review of the previous week. 😊