The City of Naples has a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day parade every year. It attracts over 40,000 spectators and hundreds of floats. I wasn’t officially in the parade but enjoyed my time riding past the crowd a few times before the parade started and meeting with many of the participants. Jackson, a student from Calusa Park Elementary school had seen one of my school programs. He chased me down to say hello and for me to say hi to Bogart. He had many kind words to say about our visit to his school.

It is a blessing to talk to so many people as I travel the country. Nearly every person who has approached me over these last seven years have had kind comments and advice some of the others approach me looking for a word or two of comfort.
Julie, are young woman who stopped by was having some challenging times in her life, her request was that I offered some prayers for her. I have and I hope you will take the time to do so as well. Many blessings to you Julie.

Lely Elementary students Brandon and Miekel introduced their mother Barbara to me as I was busy near the Kindness Bus. They were excited to show the bus to their mom, up close and in person, ever since I visited their school a few weeks ago.
It is always so rewarding to me to see when children who have witnessed our programs at their school and their parents already know of us visiting their child’s school. The connection between parent and child teaching them these life lessons of kindness, compassion, respect, comfort of others and gratitude is so very important.

Bogart has a very big fan base. He is the star of the show, without a doubt. On the side of the Kindness Bus is a spot for Bogart fan mail. Children and adults alike, across the United States love writing notes to thank Bogert for just being who he is…The Kindness Dog!
Many of the schools I have visited recently have sent me packages with thank you notes for Bogart. It is so very special to read these letters of affection they have for him.

I have begun to fill in many of the empty spaces on the Kindness Bus. There must be at least 1,000 empty spaces where I can fill in with a message of kindness.
I have requested that people send their suggestions to me letting them know that simpler is often better. One of the more recent quotes came from a teacher at Calusa Park Elementary in Naples, Florida.
I love the simplicity of this message: “It’s nice to be nice.”

Talking to any Kiwanis group is like preaching to the choir. All of these organizations volunteer to do wonderful things in the local communities. Most of these acts of kindness are directed at helping children. I am so thankful for the invite to be the speaker at the Kiwanis Club of Naples, Florida. My message to them was two-fold, that no matter how kind and giving you are already, you can always be a little kinder and that perhaps some of them may have the chance to do something full time for a charity for the rest of their lives.

Visiting schools across the country my hope is that I make a connection to the students with kindness. I hope that the message stays with them long after I have left. This has certainly been the case and recently it was called to my attention by one of the students who left a package with her mother on the side of the Kindness Bus.