My theme for this year’s Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is Cultivating Happiness. Today, X is for Xenial.
I cradle her in my arms.
She stirs and finds me looking down at her.
Her eyes shine with tears of what may have been joy, or gratitude.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she slurs.
I put my finger on her lips to hush her.
I know exactly how it feels to plead for help.
A Word to the Wise
Xenial means to be hospitable and giving especially to strangers and people whom you don’t know. Hold the door for strangers. Give someone hand carrying their groceries. Assist a elderly person walking across the street. Carrying out acts of kindness to people you don’t know will strengthen your positive outlook on life. Is there a greater feeling than helping someone who is need?
You can check out my A-Z posts thus far by clicking on a highlighted letter!
40 Responses
Short, sweet and so true. We can all do with empathy and help at some point in our lives.
Well said, we all can do with a lot of compassion and empathy! Like they say, there is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up!
This is good, but one suggestion: Ask if the person needs your help, and then help. I learned this lesson the hard way.
Destination Infinity
I know what you mean. Sometimes it backfires too. Would love to know about this experience of yours 🙂
Being kind and helpful must be our way of life to help this world restore faith in goodness of strangers.
That a wonderful take on X 🙂
You are spot on. It is said that you have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. If each one of us follow this, we would be making our world a better place! Thank you 🙂
Learnt a new word today 🙂 Great post!
Sudha from
Everyday Muse
Glad you liked this post, Sudha 🙂
I have learned a new word today here. You have written it so beautifully… Loved it!
Thanks a lot, Shesha 🙂
Such a beautiful gesture, never knew this word though!
@KalaRavi16 from
Relax-N-Rave
Glad you liked it 🙂
I learnt a new word today: Xenial! 🙂
True, acts of kindness done for random strangers certainly makes you feel good about yourself !
True, compassion and empathy towards others not only changes them but changes us too. 🙂
so much of positivity in your post, thanks for teaching me a new word:) love and hugs !!
Thank you, Genevive ♥
That is the beauty of blogging that one never stops learning! Thanks for addition to the vocabulary, Shipa:)
True that… we learn so much from our blogging buddies 🙂
That’s such a wonderful and inspring thought. Thank you for sharing.
Wow amazing indeed.. Hats off to the craftsmanship..JAI HO
http://kavisthoughts.blogspot.in/2016/04/x-for-xcellence.html
Glad you liked this 55er and the thought shared, Kavita! Thank you!
beautiful thought and as always crisply articulated. Xenial is a new word i learnt today and such a beautiful meaning. Thank you, Shilpa and loved that photo quote.
Glad you liked this one, Asha! 🙂
Didnt know this word but love this idea 🙂
Yeah, the word may be new but we have been practicing it all our life, especially you in your line of work 🙂
I read that in a dark way, not a happy way. Made it really confusing. LOL
~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
LOL 😀 That’s the twisted 55er 😀
Lovely and reminds us to be kind. Great pick for the word 🙂
Thanks Parul. 🙂
I don’t know why people find it difficult to be kind these days.
Aah! The times we live in!! 🙁
Always interesting to see what comes up with “X”. Good choice and the short story illustrates the meaning of “Xenial” so well. I used the noun version, “Xenia”, two years ago. We’re almost done. Can you believe it? 🙂 Cheers!
‘X’ is pretty challenging, but we all manage to come up with interesting options every year!
And we are done and dusted with this year’s challenge… woohoo 😀
I learnt a new word today. But more importantly remembered someone after reading your post.
We were two students caught up in a massive downpour in south mumbai. We were wondering ho to get back to the campus. At the bus stop we tried to open our wallets to see if we had enough money to hire a cab to chembur. A third man going to Chembur joined us and we were relieved that it would not be such an expensive ride after all. When we got down, he paid the taxi driver and refused to take money from us. He said that when we got our jobs and moved on with life, we should make sure that each one of us helps other students and thus repay him over time. THAT WAS XENIAL !!
Aha! God bless that man and may his tribe increase. Hope you got opportunity to pay it forward too 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experience, Jayanthi 🙂
Beautiful thought!
Thank you, Samra 🙂
the quote is absolutely brilliant. Loved the story.
A Whimsical Medley
Twinkle Eyed Traveller