“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. ”

— Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

There are two kinds of treats in this world. A treat, and how you treat someone.

A treat make everything better. Even the hills.

A parent knows that an occasional treat for a child does wonders. A boss knows that a bonus tells an employee how he feels about his or her work. And everyone knows how good it feels to treat themselves.

But how we treat other people, especially when they can do nothing for you, is also quite important. The kindness we show to strangers speaks volumes about our character. It’s a reflection of our nature if we are generous and magnanimous to a mere acquaintance, or if we’re stingy and unhelpful.

A thank you card, a free drink, a smile, a greeting, an ear to listen, a sandwich, an open door, and a hand up, are just a few ways we can treat others well in a meaningful and tangible way. We can also be less critical, less condescending, less judgmental, more supportive, more courteous, and more patient.

In addition, how we treat others is a measure of how we treat ourselves. When we’re kinder to others, we tend to view them more sympathetically. That can reflect positively on how we view the person we see in the mirror each morning. See the good in others, see the good in ourselves.

Treat others well, treat ourselves well, and treat everyone from time to time.

These are just some thoughts on a Sunday morning, but going out of our way to treat others well sounds like a treat to me.

Yesterday’s gift of time … Took a few hours and rode bikes with my daughters, first to the library, then to 7-11 … Tried very hard to treat them well, even though one of them wasn’t treating me very well.