Dear Readers,
There are moments when time whispers wisdom. This week, it speaks twice. Two days, side by side, speak louder than any sermon. World Kindness Day, on 13th November, followed by Children’s Day on the 14th, feels like a cosmic signal, telling us that kindness and childhood are inseparable. The future of our community depends on the kindness we cultivate and exemplify for our children.
As Parsis, our lives and values are woven with love, laughter, community and an instinctive desire to support those around us. We have always taken pride in raising thoughtful, well-mannered children. Even so, it’s time we asked ourselves if children today are growing up with the depth of empathy that once defined us.
Today’s children live in a world radically different from the one we knew. They are growing up in a digital universe where attention is currency and empathy is optional. Surrounded by screens, they learn to react before they reflect, to swipe before they understand. Friendships are often measured in followers and expressed through emojis instead of heartfelt conversations. Within this shifting landscape, the simple act of being kind can feel rare, even revolutionary! In this fast, filtered world, pain is as easily ignored as joy is instantly forgotten. A child who once found joy in cycling around the baugs now endlessly scrolls a digital universe of strangers, imbibing values shaped by AI-generated fiction. As a result, empathy struggles to take root, and kindness quietly begins to erode.
Every now and then, we hear stories that stir hope – a young boy tutoring the house-help’s children on weekends, a little girl choosing to donate her birthday gifts. Yet, kindness for our community carries a deeper call. With so many of our elders living alone, our children must learn to care for those who once cared for us. A phone call, a visit, a tea-time session over choi and dar-ni-pori can turn loneliness into quiet joy.
Kindness must be taught with the same intention as academics. It begins at home – in how we speak, how we treat those who serve us, how we handle disagreements. Children absorb what they witness. Let’s guide them to put down their phones and pick up a conversation, to offer a seat, a smile or simply a moment of listening. These are small acts, but they shape big hearts. Let us encourage our children to stand strong with humility and lead with kindness. Coz when empathy becomes their foundation, they will carry our community toward a more graceful, generous and hopeful future.
Wish you all a Happy Kindness Day and Happy Children’s Day!
– Anahita
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