Someone Cares: The Most Important To-Do

Her daily list became a reminder of the importance of kindness unto others.

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I walked into the kitchen and saw my 18-year-old daughter, Julia, mixing muffin batter. “Chocolate chip muffins for me and banana nut for Dad,” 11-year-old Nathan said with a grin.

The following afternoon, at the end of her shift at the grocery store, Julia picked up milk and other items she knew our family needed. The next time she went to work, she got groceries for my mother-in-law, who lives across the street.

Over the next week, Julia unloaded the dishwasher, made dinner and swept the floor—things I normally would’ve done—all without being asked.

On Friday, I saw Julia’s to-do list on the kitchen table. The last item caught my eye: “Do something nice for someone else.” I flipped back through the notebook. Every day’s list included that same task.

I remembered the muffins she’d made, the dishes she’d washed and the groceries she’d bought. What a great kid, I thought.

She’s also a great example. My daughter reminded me that loving others by doing something nice for them is important. So important that it makes my to-do list each day.

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