Everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle

So... there has been a distinct silence coming from my blog in recent months. There's been a lot going on in my life, perhaps now isn't the time to get into that! But hey... lots has happened to distract me and keep me from writing. However I feel there is a need for me to get back into the swing of things and start posting a little more regularly. Not due to any sense of commitment to posting a certain number of blogs at specific intervals but more to encourage me to keep writing. Writing has become a big part of what I do day in, day out... but I want to make sure that writing for pleasure stays a big part of my life. I don't want to lose the sense of enjoyment and relaxation I get from writing down waffly ideas every now and again. 

I tend to keep a list of ideas and another folder in my bookmarks on my browser containing things I fancy writing about at some point. I had a look in my little inspiration list today and found a slightly peculiar article. I looked at it blankly and skimmed through it again wondering what past me had seen in this article about a catfish. It didn't dawn on me until I read the last line...

Be kinder than necessary 'cause everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle

 If you read the article you'll see it's about a man called Bill Driver who saw a ball bouncing on the surface of a lake and wondered what it was, on closer inspection he found a catfish who had tried to eat the ball which then became stuck in his mouth. The poor cat fish was stuck, unable to get the ball out of its mouth and exhausted from trying to dive under water and being repeatedly brought back to the surface by the buoyancy of the ball. Without Bill and his wife Pam managing the puncture the ball and get it out of its mouth, the catfish would have probably died. The kindness of two passers by, of a totally different species saved the life of the catfish... it's only a fish you may say... but it was still an act of kindness to this creature. 

Now as soppy as I am, the fish story clearly made me feel happy knowing there are kind hearted people out there, it wasn't until I reached the quote (on my initial read) that it struck a chord with me. I know a lot of people with varying mental health problems, who on a day to day basis function fairly well... it's really amazing! But I think it's important to remember that even if people do seem to be fine and dandy on the outside (and this isn't just specific to mental health conditions), they may be dealing with something else on the inside and just hiding it well. I think the key is to make sure you treat everyone in a kind way... yeah as you would like to be treated yourself and all that jazz... but be mindful that they might be having a hard time on the inside and you could be the one who helps them through it by being kinder than necessary. 

Kate xx