Be Kind.
The special thing about taking a sabbatical on Lesbos is that it has two sides. Life on an island where there is no rush, where things are simple, and where people are kind. It feels like sinking into a warm bath, moving from knowing no one to being part of a circle of people who are genuinely kind. A mutual understanding that you need each other and/or simply appreciate each other—not dictated by packed schedules or agendas.
For me, it means sitting on my balcony right now. It’s actually a bit too cold, but it’s so beautiful, and the sun is warm.
A clock chimes, dogs bark, cats chase each other, and here and there a scooter passes by. And then there’s that breathtaking view. The angry outside world of Trump and Musk, of putting one’s own country first—it all seems far away.
Yet at the same time, it is closer than ever. Just four kilometers away, 3,500 people are living in a camp. Over the past few days, it was unbearably cold there, apart from all the other problems. Some visible, some invisible. Despair manifests in attempts to demand things, but that doesn’t work. Self-harm. Grief. And alongside this, there are people who try to help. More and more, I realize that what they aim to do is just as necessary as the things they might not set as goals but still do.
Be kind.
I have seen it happen so many times now—people arriving at the Fenix container tense, and then leaving with a relaxed smile. Not because they suddenly have papers or a passport, but because they know better what to do and because they were met with genuine attention.
In the Netherlands, many people are afraid of what is happening in the world. “Where are we heading? Things are going wrong. I can’t do anything.” I hear those kinds of reactions often.
But I think there is one thing we can all do—no, that we must do: Be kind.
Care for those who cross your path. And if no one crosses your path, go out and find them. There are so many ways to do this.
Spreading kindness is not only good for others but also for yourself. It’s not just good for that one person but for society as a whole. It is the answer to self-interest and egoism, even when disguised as some vague, unsubstantiated notion of “the greater good.”
Be kind.
Do something good today, in a way that suits you.
We tend to divide society into target groups, to abstract and measure everything. But what we all need most right now is the feeling that we collectively spread what we stand for.
Be kind.
Look beyond your own fear and see what happens. How people who seem angry at first glance start to smile. That hint of relief. The wrinkles of a smile forming—hesitant at first, but then they appear.
Only then do we have an answer to everything that scares us. That’s how we nourish the countercurrent that cannot be stopped.
Be kind.
