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Gen Alpha, those who are 10 to 24 years old, shy away from fame and popularity. Rather they value kindness and being safe. These are the findings of a recently published study conducted by UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers. The study suggests that in a world full of uncertainties, conflicts and potential for chaos, the younger generation aims to remain grounded. Their key takeaways:

• Feeling safe is fundamental
• Kindness and empathy are crucial particularly in a polarized world
• Self-acceptance is a priority and media can help with that
• Fun is more than entertainment, but part of  mechanisms to cope and connect

What is noteworthy is that they had options to choose good looks and changing the world, and they chose kindness and empathy.

It seems the young are reminding us to think, rethink or affirm what is important.

 Finding new species seems wondrous! Several scientific organizations working around the globe searching all continents and oceans have done just that. The California Science Academy reports finding 72 new species of wildlife, plants and even bugs, including a translucent one, as well as a new species of sunflower, which doesn’t look like a sunflower but which DNA shows it is.  Other worldwide groups report over 1300 mammal species over the last 20 years.  Some of the species seem offshoots of others, but in the main they are new, show mammal diversity and how the species interact with their environments. The scientists say it matters because conservation efforts cannot occur unless there is first identification and documentation of the species which need attention.  So far, the good news is that discoveries outpace extinctions. Of course it does advance human knowledge.

I wanted to share this for another reason. We so often forget how much we do not know, and can be so complacent about our own ignorance, that just the simple fact so many new species have been discovered makes us pause and ponder and marvel and be both more aware and more humble.

Imagine being alone and feeling isolated? Would a kind message make you feel better? It usually does and that is why Wildly Kind is beginning to place booths at festivals and fairs and other such gatherings. Anyone can go into the booth leave a kind message for someone who will need it.  Kayla Lamoureux the founder of Wildly Kind started it as a sort of free mental health resource. She began it in 2022 during the pandemic, and attracted a group of ambassadors who engage in doing kind things, for example give flowers to a stranger. The booths which first appeared in Portland where Lamoureux lives are an expansion of the organization’s work. With the first booths people could leave notes or even videos. They are now equipped with a land line where people can record a message to a stranger who may be struggling. They have appeared in several cities in other states and more are planned.

 I’d suggest you’d cheer the idea but I suspect that’s redundant, you already do. What I hope you will add to your cheering is how many people care about each other, strangers included, how many people want to help and how much good that represents.