Author George Saunders delivered a commencement speech at Syracuse University for the class of 2013. The speech was subsequently published by the New York Times and went viral. On Tuesday, it became a wonderful 64-page book called?Congratulations, by the way: Some Thoughts on Kindness. Random House worked closely with Above Average and Serious Lunch to put together and produce this two-minute video — an abridged version of the book, narrated by Saunders himself. The message:
“What I regret most in my life are?failures of kindness.”
People?have to dedicate thought and effort to being kinder, Saunders says, because “kindness, it turns out, is hard ? it starts out all rainbows and puppy dogs, and expands to include… well, everything.”
There may be no more simple yet profound message you hear all day. I hope teachers and parents share this with every child they come into contact with. And quite a few adults could stand to re-learn this lesson, too. I’ve made it a lifetime practice of doing as Mr. Saunders suggests. I stick up for the little guy (or girl), the disadvanted. By the same token, there have also been incidents in my life when I DID sit quietly and watch a wrong being done. There are also instances in my life when I myself was guilty of being unkind — a regret I have to live with.
I’ll be buying a few copies of this book. My daughter is graduating from high school this year and I’ll be gifting this to some of her classmates who have come to be as precious to me as my own children are. Most of them won’t read it, of course. At least not immediately. But they may read it someday. They want money — I’ve heard them say so. But they won’t be getting it from me. I can think of no better gift than a life-changing lesson in kindness. It will carry them much further than a $100 bill.
Let’s be kind. Mr. Saunders is right. It’s not always easy.?You can read the entire speech here. Enjoy. Share.
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Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
