Including kindness
(Gareth Henderson Photo)
The voices of young people have been heard throughout this pandemic, and sometimes in the simplest, and most beautiful ways. So many times, the simplest messages speak most strongly, right when we need them most.
The art on Google's homepage logo is something many have grown used to over the years; we may not always stop and look closely at its message. Today I did, and I was so glad I took that moment. It showed a drawing by Sharon Sara, an elementary school student from Frisco, Texas, who won the 2020 Doodle for Google contest. The artwork shows girls of different races holding hands together, and it exudes a beautiful innocence around inclusion and friendship, things the world needs to be reminded of today.
For its annual contest, Google's prompt for 2020 was "I show kindness by ..." — and Sharon decided to focus on being inclusive in her drawing titled, "Together as one." Along with her winning entry, Sharon reflected on some struggles she’s had with friendship.
"People have not wanted to be my friend because of how I look, so I decided to draw what I do!" she wrote to Google. "No matter what people look like, you look on the inside and then decide if you want to be their friend."
She added, "Kindness means to not look at someone from the outside, but look at their personality, and being open to their friendship."
To wake up to that message this morning, with its simple truth that anyone can be a friend, was a wonderful gift from the heart. It was another inspiring example of our youth’s positive influence, specifically on matters of inclusion. How special it is, that millions of people have now seen and read Sharon’s heartfelt message. Another hopeful note: A number of the other contest submissions also focused on inclusivity.
In 2020, young people have formed an impactful collective voice, not only during protests against injustice, but also in defense of simple human decency everyone should follow. They remind our country and the world that everyone is deserving of kindness. This year, no message could be more important.
— Gareth Henderson
