Gentleness.
Gentle touch, gentle sounds, gentle words… ahhh, so soothing.
G = Gentle
E = Easy
N = Nice
T = Tender
L = Loving
E = Encouraging
N = Nurturing
E = Endearing
S = Sweet
S = Soft
There is an amazing abundance of power in the true meaning and expression of being gentle towards one another. Sadly, gentleness can be misconstrued as being weak, but I think it’s quite the opposite. Being gentle with one another is an honorable, respectful, and kind way to act. Being gentle stands counter to a quick tempered, rude, critical, and abrasive approach. Sadly, so many of our surroundings are often filled with harshness and cruelty.
I truly want to believe we strive to live and be recognized as gentle souls, gentlewomen, gentlemen, gentle people—individuals that are soft, caring, nurturing, tender, and mild-mannered; deeply giving of ourselves in such a loving and gentle way.
When my daughter was a baby, she was a fussy little thing. For nearly six months, she cried for endless hours in the early evenings. It was quite challenging to try and soothe her. My husband and I would take turns bouncing her, rocking her, singing to her, taking her for car rides—we had all sorts of failed tricks to try and halt the crying, but it was my mom who had the magic touch.
“When you observe kind & gentle mothers in action, you see women of great strength.” - Margaret D. NaDavid
My mother often visited during these fussy times to try and help calm the waters. I remember being in awe of her. It was like the minute she held our daughter, the crying ended! I remember asking my mom, “What is it that you do, or what is it you have that I don’t?” She would tease me and say, “It’s my gentle touch that comes from the heart.”
Being a gentle and loving person, as my mother always was with my daughter, is such a bountiful and beautiful gift. Let’s encourage one another to take a soft approach towards the people that surround us each and every day, wrapping them in a warm blanket of love, just like the gentle touch of a mother’s hand.
