Hey, tween girls! Happy World Kindness Day! What a difference kindness makes, no matter our nationality or color of skin . . . God created us all!

When you’re having a rough day and a friend helps you out or even a stranger, too . . . Kindness matters! Nothing feels better when someone’s there for you, and also when you’re being kind, too. Like welcoming a new family into your neighborhood or the new kid at school, or comforting a friend who’s lost their dog, or when your friend’s looking sad and you find out what’s wrong.

And if someone’s not kind to you, you can still be kind back. That doesn’t mean being a doormat. You can still stand up for yourself, but you don’t need to treat them how they’re treating you.

In my book, The Heart to Dance, Alexis isn’t being treated well by a girl in her dance class, but after talking to God, He tells her to be kind anyway. And when she does that, it changes everything. And that can happen for you, too!

So Happy World Kindness Day! You never know what someone’s going through, so kindness matters and can make someone’s day or even change a life! So how about being extra kind today and also every day after that!