The Universal Language of Kindness

Little Tokens, Big Ripples

Last year, on a crowded flight, I experienced how the smallest gesture can create unexpected ripples of joy.

A multi-generational family celebration was unfolding across the aisle — a daughter turning 18, surrounded by her parents and both grandmothers headed to an adults-only resort. It was clearly a milestone journey.

Through tears, the mother reminisced about her daughter’s wobbly first steps, first words, and first nervous solo drive.

I looked to the right where my own little one sat propped reading Pippi Longstocking. In a blink, she’ll be flying the nest, too.

I pulled out my pen and paper, tore two imperfect rectangles, and began to draw.

One became a “parenting anniversary” card for the mother, adorned with wobbly flowers and a heartfelt note celebrating her 18-year journey.

The other, a hand-bound sketchbook from my bag (originally meant for myself), went to her daughter who — I found out through overheard conversations — loved to draw.

When I handed them over, the mother’s eyes welled up with tears … not because of my artistic skill (clearly there wasn’t much to boast about), but because someone had noticed her journey, acknowledged it, and cared enough to create something by hand.

The warmth of their hugs and the genuine surprise in their smiles reminded me yet again how powerful these simple, creative gestures are.

If you look at these photos, your biggest takeaway should be: You don’t need to be an artist to make someone’s day brighter.

Let me repeat that: you do not need to be an artist.

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Perfect is the Enemy of Good

During that week of travel, I made dozens of similarly basic gratitude tags. Notice I say “basic” — because they are!

Simple flowers (literally just loops for petals), basic frames (just lines!), and the words “Thank You!”

Nothing complicated, nothing fancy.

What you need to create these is surprisingly simple:

• A black pen (any pen will do; I used an ink pen since that’s what I had!)

• White paper (I tear mine by hand for a rustic look)

• 2-3 minutes of your time

• Zero artistic training

That’s right—zero artistic training required.

Can you draw a circle? Great! That’s a flower center.

Can you draw loops around it? Fantastic, now you have petals.

Can you write “Thank You”? Perfect.

You’re all set.

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Simple Gestures, Big Impact

These simple tags found their way into the hands of:

• Flight attendants

• Pilots

• Restaurant servers

• Bartenders

• Resort entertainment team members

• Janitors

• Baristas

• Butlers

• Bellboys

• Taxi drivers

• And many more…

Sometimes I added specific notes about their service; other times, it was just a general message of thanks. But every single time, I watched the ripples spread: from a surprised smile, to a story shared with a colleague, to a photo taken to show family later.

And here’s the thing: not one of them critiqued my artistic abilities. Not one person said, “These flowers aren’t botanically accurate” or “Your lines aren’t straight.”

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When Doubt Creeps In

Each time I handed over one of these simple tokens, I felt a moment of vulnerability: Sometimes it was about my artistic ability (“Is this good enough?”), and sometimes it was about the gesture itself (“Will they think I'm weird?”).

A recent conversation with a reader brought these twin hesitations into sharp focus.

“I haven’t started making art to give as tokens YET,” she shared. That “yet” caught my attention — it held both possibility and hesitation.

When I asked what was holding her back, her response struck a chord: “Giving to a stranger seems like something I wouldn’t naturally do, so I wonder how ‘authentic’ it would feel. And giving to people I know, I wonder if they would feel like that was a little weird or random.”

I bet you’re nodding along right now. These fears are so familiar — they used to stop me, too.

Let’s tackle the first fear of not being “good enough” at art.

Here’s what I’ve learned in seven years of creating these tokens: connection doesn’t require perfection — in fact, perfection often strangles the very authenticity we’re seeking.

Those tiny imperfections in our handmade cards? They’re not flaws — they’re proof that a real person took time to create something unique.

Now for the second fear: feeling awkward or inauthentic when giving these tokens.

We worry about appearing insincere, about making others uncomfortable, about stepping outside the careful choreography of normal social interactions.

What’s helped me most on my journey is starting small.

That grocery clerk you see every week? Next time, break the script. Ask them about their day. Share a genuine moment.

Then, when you hand them a simple thank-you tag, it won’t feel forced — it’ll feel like a natural extension of that human connection you just built.

And yes, some people might find it unusual — but in a world where genuine gestures are increasingly rare, unusual can be beautiful.

I’ve also given plenty of tags to friends and family that went unappreciated, and that’s okay.

Because somewhere along the way, I discovered something important: these little tokens stopped being about me. How they’re received isn’t up to me.

The joy comes from pushing past my comfort zone, from trying something new, from daring to be that person who makes unexpected gestures of kindness.

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Where to Begin

If you want a little nudge to get started, here are some ideas. Hand a little token of kindness to:

• The bus driver on your morning commute

• Anyone working during a holiday

• The new employee learning the ropes

• The person who seems to be having a rough day

• The coworker you pass in the hallway

• The delivery person dropping off packages in the rain

• The stranger who looks lonely at a café

The beauty of these small gestures is that they don’t need a reason. You don’t have to wait for someone to do something extraordinary to show appreciation. Sometimes, simply acknowledging another person’s presence in your day — their humanity — is reason enough.

In our world of digital interactions and pre-printed cards, these simple, handmade tokens stand out because they’re real. They remind us that someone took a moment to create something, just for us.

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The Ripple Effect

Sometimes I linger to see what happens after the initial smile and hug and, more often than not, the recipient shows the note to their coworker and either tucks it away safely in a pocket or wall or pins it to the employee board.

And I’ve often see them greet the next couple of customers with a spring in their step and a warmer smile.

This is how kindness spreads — not always in ways we can see or measure, but in countless ripples moving outward from that first small gesture.

It doesn’t matter if your flowers are lopsided or your letters aren’t perfectly aligned. What matters is that you cared enough to try.

Your wobbly lines and imperfect circles carry more meaning than any mass-produced card ever could. What matters is the human touch, the time taken, the courage to reach out.

Remember that mother on the plane? Her tears weren’t because she received the most prolific painting ever!

They were about being seen, about having someone acknowledge a milestone in her journey.

The daughter’s excitement wasn’t about receiving a perfectly bound sketchbook — it was about a stranger noticing and encouraging her passion for drawing.

These moments of connection happen not because we’re artists, but because we’re human.

We all share the same fundamental need: to be noticed, to be appreciated, to know that our presence in this world matters to someone else.

Beneath our varied beliefs and perspectives, beyond the lines that sometimes separate us, we’re all people who smile at unexpected kindness.

Every time you hesitate (and you will hesitate — I still do), remember this: someone out there needs exactly what you can give.

Not your perfect calligraphy or professionally drawn flowers, but your genuine attempt to reach out and say, “I see you. You matter.”

Maybe your first thank-you tag will go to the barista who makes your morning coffee.

Maybe it’ll be for your child’s enrichment teacher, or the maintenance worker who frequently visits your building— each one is navigating their own hopes and fears, just like you and me.

Maybe you’ll start, as I did, by witnessing a moment that moves you and feeling compelled to acknowledge it.

Wherever you begin, know this: your willingness to be vulnerable, to step outside your comfort zone, to create something with your own hands — that’s what makes these gestures powerful.

That’s what creates ripples of kindness in a world that desperately needs more of it.

In times of uncertainty and division, these small bridges of human connection become more valuable than ever.

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Share Your Story

I’d love to hear about your experiences with handmade tokens — whether giving or receiving.

• What moments have moved you to create something for someone else?

• What has stopped you?

• What handmade gesture has touched your heart?

Your story could be featured in my upcoming book, and sharing by November 15 automatically enters you into a giveaway. But more importantly, your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear to begin their own journey of creative kindness.

So grab that pen, tear that paper, and join me in this small revolution of handmade kindness, a tiny rebellion against the busyness and the impersonality of our modern lives…a little way to create big ripples.

The world needs your wobbly flowers and imperfect hearts more than you know.

Keep creating, keep connecting, keep spreading joy — one simple token at a time.

With encouragement and gratitude,

Mansi.