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I went to the orphanage once when I was a student of senior high school. It was what my friends and I should do if we want to graduate from our school. It is called Social Care. My friends (each team has 5 people) and I should be there for 4 days. At first I was so nervous. Meet new people, and had to do something for them.

On the first day, we were introducing ourselves to them, why we were there, and what for. There were only 20 children there, around 1 year old to 17 years old. They said that when they were already graduated from senior high school, they had to go from the orphanage and found a job. After we knew each other, we started to give a lesson. I still remember that day I taught them about numbers and days in Japanese. Though the boys were so naughty but I had to take control of myself (I can easily get angry, but of course I could not angry to them).
On the second day and third day, we decided to gather all of the children and made plans to clean around the orphanage. We gathered team by team and cleaned the bathroom, mosque, park, and the studying room. For their bedroom, they cleaned it by themselves. We were so happy doing that for them. Even we collected grass and feed the goats (by the way the owner of the orphanage has more than 10 goats in the backyard).

Then, on the last day, we only played game, and gave little present for them and for the owner of the orphanage. We prayed together after that.
This is the most unforgettable moment in my life. I realized that the essence of that social care is not about “this is what we must do to graduate from our school”. But it is about “how do we treat other people”, “how could we make others smile”, and “how to do something without the expectation of having it paid back”. I feel something deep inside my heart when remember their smile that day.
We live in a busy world. Many of us are busy. We have so many things in our minds. We might think about tomorrow’s assignment, think about how to manage our money (since now I live far from my parents), or maybe think about what we will eat tomorrow. We are trapped in our thoughts and emotion and it make us difficult to see people around us.

So what is kindness? Kindness comes in many forms, and given in many ways. But for me, kindness is about putting other people ahead of myself. It is about taking the time to give someone else a piece of our time. It means seeking to fill a gap in the life of someone who maybe struggling, or who has need and not asking anything in return.

In the future, I want to respect the time or efforts given by the other.
I want to give appreciation for what the other does, despite my own current troubles.
I want to help a person without losing one’s true self to negativity.
I want to be honest and firm.
I want to share my feelings, and be open-minded and trust the others.

Last, “no acts of kindness are small. Even a simple thing like a smile can change a person’s day. And let’s show that a small random act of kindness can change the world. The world might be a nicer place.”- A

Tulisan ini dibuat untuk mengikuti Bidikmisi Blog Award di Universitas Negeri Semarang. Tulisan adalah karya saya sendiri dan bukan jiplakan.