Wednesday was World Kindness Day, and we were happy to see messages of kindness all over the place.

While World Kindness Day is over, we are hopeful the spread of kindness won’t end there.

Spreading kindness doesn’t always require grand gestures. While those gestures are wonderful, there are a lot of simple, free and easy ways you can spread kindness.

— Smile at a stranger on the street.

— Hold a door for someone at the store.

— Offer to help someone load their groceries into their vehicle.

— Send an uplifting message to a friend or family member.

— Compliment at least one person you encounter each day. It might be on their outfit, their new haircut or the good job they did on that project at work. Or perhaps you just compliment them for being a nice person.

— Reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in awhile. Just knowing someone is thinking about them will likely brighten their day.

— Offer to pay for the person behind you in line at the coffee shop or fast food restaurant.

— Let your loved one pick their favorite meal for dinner and top it off with their favorite dessert.

— Spend a few extra minutes hugging your kiddos and tell them how special they are.

— Make a donation of any amount to a charity in your community.

— Offer to volunteer for a nonprofit. Even an hour of your time would be much appreciated.

— Buy donuts for your coworkers or bring a bag of candy or homemade goodies to share.

— Leave inspirational quotes on sticky notes and leave them in public places for others to find.

— Be a listening ear for a friend or loved one during a difficult time.

— Pick on that litter you see on the ground around town.

— Be intentional about thanking others for their own acts of kindness.

Those are just a few simple ideas of things you can do to spread kindness.

Kindness is contagious. By taking the time out of your day to something kind for someone else, whether big or small, you can encourage others to do the same. And if each person pays that random act of kindness forward, we’re bound have better days ahead.

As Mr. Rogers said, “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.”

Editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. The board is comprised of publisher Michael Caldwell and Bluegrass Newsmedia editors Whitney Leggett and Ben Kleppinger. To inquire about a meeting with the board, contact Caldwell at 759-0095.