Be Kind Like Maddie for World Kindness Day

Be Like Maddie for World Kindness Day

The other day, I shared a story on a podcast hosted by Jeb White for CollegeAdmissions.com. As we talked about mental health and resilience, he asked me the question I’m often asked: What was Maddie like? Inevitably, the first word that comes to mind is kindness.

Maddie was kindness in action. While we sometimes don’t hear about how our kids touch others’ lives, several people reached out after Maddie passed to share how her kindness had touched them. These stories were gifts—moments of light that shone through the darkest of times and reminded me of the beauty she brought into the world.

One story that particularly stands out to me came from a student at North Toronto Collegiate, where Maddie was in high school. This student, new to the school, didn’t have many friends yet and was struggling to adjust. One day, while rushing to class with a heavy load of textbooks and binders, she dropped everything in the middle of the hall. Not a single person stopped to help, and she began to feel overwhelmed. Then, Maddie stepped in. She bent down, helped the girl gather her books, and asked her where her next class was. Then, instead of just pointing her in the right direction, Maddie walked with her, chatting along the way, and showed her to her classroom. For Maddie, this was just a small act of kindness, but for that student, it made a world of difference. She felt seen, supported, and welcomed. That’s the effect Maddie’s kindness had on others.

Another story that makes me smile is one from Maddie’s stays in the youth psychiatric unit at North York General Hospital. Maddie was admitted twice, once for ten days and another time for two months. Anyone who’s been on a psychiatric floor knows how cold and institutional it can feel, and for a young person, the environment can be intimidating. It was the type of place where uncertainty and fear filled the air for new arrivals and their families. But Maddie, even in her own struggles, would make it a point to welcome every new patient and their parents.

“Hi, I’m Maddie. Would you like me to give you a tour of the place?” she’d say with a smile. She understood how overwhelming it felt to step onto that floor, so she made it her mission to offer some warmth and connection to everyone she could. Maddie took the time to make others feel safe and welcomed, even when she herself was facing her own challenges. Her kindness was unwavering, and it was such a core part of who she was that it often came before her own needs.

Reflecting on Maddie’s kindness has also helped me connect with other parents who have lost children to suicide. It’s interesting to note how often these young, lost souls were described as kindhearted, self-sacrificing individuals who gave to others until their final days. Maddie, like many of them, seemed to carry an innate empathy that drove her to care deeply for others, even when she needed care herself. It’s almost as if she was a light that shone a little too brightly, illuminating others’ lives until it burned out. Her kindness was boundless, and while she is no longer with us, the memory of that kindness lives on.

World Kindness Day offers us a moment to reflect on the legacy we want to leave. For me, Maddie’s legacy is kindness. It’s in the small, unseen acts of compassion, the simple gestures that make someone’s day just a little bit better. If I could share one wish with you today, it would be to be like Maddie. Whether it’s picking up a stranger’s books or offering a comforting word, kindness can make an impact we may never fully see but will be felt deeply by others.

Do you have a story of a loved one that makes you proud? A memory of kindness that makes you smile? If so, share it. Let’s remember those who taught us the true meaning of kindness, who showed us that it’s often the little things that create the biggest impact. Today, on World Kindness Day, let’s all carry a piece of that light forward in honour of those who gave it freely.

So, let’s be like Maddie. Let’s be kind, selfless, and caring—one small act at a time.