Treat others the way you want to be treated... ah, the Golden Rule of elementary school. That was one of the first lessons I ever learned which introduced me to be kind to others... away from what I was learning at home.

Why does the basic act of kindness slowly disspear as we get older?

Every morning I walk into town to get my grandmother fresh bread from the bakery. Before I get to the bakery, I pass by a women who sits on a bench in front of the local library. For weeks, I wouldn't think much about it.

This particular day, I happened to take my little sister with me into town. As we passed by the lady on the bench she asked me, "Ellie, do you think she's hungry?" I stopped to think for a while and really took in the situation in front of me. For the first time, I realized the lady on the bench could have been homeless. After some quiet thinking, I continued my walk to the bakery and picked up two loafs of bread and a sandwich. I walked out and told my little sister to give the lady on the bench the sandwich and a loaf of bread. She turned around and said, "This was the first meal I have had in days, thank you." She started to cry. I assured her it was the least we could do and went on our way.

Walking home that same evening, I realized kindness is more than just holding a door open for others. It's stopping to take in what someone needs and sometimes the only thing someone needs might be to just ask them how they are doing. As you get older, it's easy to let the stress of the world and life get to you.

Sometimes, it is easy to let bad experiences in life trample the inner light within we all have as individuals. Life is hard, trust me. That being said, every individual's light and life are special. It's important to remember that as you live your life, continue to be optimistic and share true kindness and care with others.

Take the time to observe your surroundings - things are more dense beneath the surface. Search for the density in others. Don't just hold the door and ask them general chit-chat conversation. Being genuinely concerned or caring for someone is the ultimate form of kindness you can give. That is why the homeless women on the bench was fed that day.

If everyone was able to just stop their thoughts for a few seconds and live in the moment to take in what is around them, I believe we can all change the world one step at a time.