Rodgers 1

Sydney Rodgers
Composition 1 PD 8

Mrs. Cramer

23 April 2020

Change Starts Small

Everyone wants to be shown love and kindness throughout his or her daily lives. Some

people may think that to do this takes a lot of time and planning, but it is the smallest things that

make a difference. It may be a smile as you walk by that makes a person's bad day just slightly

better, putting a little pep in their step. It seems so small to us, but may make a massive impact

on the person receiving this act of kindness. I believe that the smallest things can make the

biggest difference.

I personally have been on the giving and receiving end of this amazing interaction. I work

with children after school and because of this, I’ve gotten to see the effects of these modest acts

of kindness. One time at my summer job as a lifeguard, I got to see Nate, one of the kids I had

worked with all school year. He had just passed his deep end test and really wanted to learn how

to dive. He was having trouble not only understanding how to do this, but how it worked at all,

so with permission from my boss, I offered him help. After a while, he had it down. At the end of

the night, he asked me to help him go off the diving board and I happily did so. He popped his

head above the water, and I could tell how much fun he was having and see the happiness

radiating off him. I was unaware someone had videotaped the unofficial lesson I had given Nate.

The next school year when I saw his mother, she thanked me for giving that small

amount of time to teach her son how to dive. She had seen the video a friend of the family had
 Rodgers 2

taken at the pool of Nate’s first dive. Now it was my turn to feel a rush of joy. I was so happy

that my effort, though small to me, had made an impact on the child. It felt that I had made a

connection, not just with Nate, but his mom. She took it upon herself to personally thank me for

what I had done. I still see Nate sometimes and he always makes a point to say hi or give me a

hug. Due to one small act of kindness, I now have a great relationship with a student that has

made an impression on the both of us for life.

I believe that an act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a big difference in one's

life. I’ve seen it and you have too, even if you don’t realize it. Take the time to do something

small to brighten up another person’s day. You will make a difference.