Sharing – Here’s What a Suicide Survivor Taught Me About Kindness
Leon’s story and the lessons he learned are both interesting and noteworthy. What’s even more, he’s come up with a list of ways to show someone you care that I think we can all take to heart:
https://traumatostrength.substack.com/p/heres-what-a-suicide-survivor-taught
Practical ways to show you care.
Now you understand the importance of kind gestures, here are some ways to let others know they matter:
- Send a thoughtful message
- Listen actively without judgment
- Check in when you know they’re struggling
- Make something special like a card or memory book
- Follow up with them. Don’t make spending time with them a one-off
- Be honest but not opinionated
- Be willing to share your own vulnerability
- Take care of some of their responsibilities
- Bring a book or a movie to watch together
A word of caution?—?there is one thing worse than not caring at all, and that’s “performative kindness.” In all your interactions, you should strive to be authentic and sincere. Make sure your acts of kindness are genuine and not for show. The vulnerable person will spot your fakeness a mile away, and you won’t get a second chance.
What would you add to his list of practical ways to show you care?
