Did you ever make a paper chain? How do you start a chain?

Construction paper in multi-colors cut in strips and linked together, one by one by one.

One little strip of paper, glued into a circle—a link—looks like nothing.

But it is the biggest and most important link of the chain.

Without it, well, there wouldn’t be a chain.

So, look around you right now.

Look around you as you go to school, whether that’s by bus or car or bike or on foot.

Look around your neighborhood.

Your house.

Is there one thing you can do right now to make a link and start a chain

Is there a kindness you can do?

Someone you can help?

* Bake cookies for a friend.

* Take a picture of someone’s house in the snow—text it to them with a note saying how pretty it looks (bonus points for having it printed and put in a frame for them).

* Bring a neighbor’s newspaper all the way up to their front porch.

* Simply hold a door open for someone.

* Tuck a Valentine card in someone’s mailbox.

* Invite the kid with no friends to sit with you and your friends at lunch.

* Tell your teacher thank you for making class fun.

* Tell your school librarian thank you for knowing so much about the books and directing you to ones that you’ll like.

* If you’re invited to a friend’s house for dinner, offer to set the table.

* Did someone forget their lunch—offer them your apple (or orange or cookies).

* Compliment the person who made your meal.

* Ask your bus driver how his or her day is going—wait for the answer.

All these are small acts of kindness.

But the person you help or compliment may just pay it forward and do the same for someone else.

That’s how a chain starts.

That’s how YOU start a chain.