THE WISDOM OF THE IVYVERSE

       Is it so hard to be kind?

       Sometimes doing a favor for another person is a reward all by itself, even if you don’t get paid or thanked for your efforts. It really isn’t so difficult to do everything in your power to help another person, especially if you just fall upon someone who could use your help. Take for example a clip of how Ivy felt after she helped a man get into his locked car:

It was strange how sometimes I felt like causing trouble and other times I felt like helping people. I decided to try to be good for the rest of the day, it felt nice. —Ivy, Book 1, Chapter 4

       Ivy does often lack basic common sense about how a person should act in order to avoid being offensive, but even she knows some basics. For instance, Ivy won’t refuse a home-baked cookie, even though she’s not very hungry:

They looked home-baked, so I knew better than to hurt her feelings by refusing. —Ivy, Book 1, Chapter 6

       And it’s just common sense to try to do nice things for people who have done nice things for you, like when Ivy offered to wash dishes for Francis after she made dinner:

“Really, it’s no trouble. . . . Besides, you fed me. I owe you something. . . . I just wouldn’t feel right if you let me eat your food and then I thanked you by sitting around watching television.” —Ivy, Book 1, Chapter 7

       If you maintain good manners and do good deeds, the world may just reciprocate. But even if it doesn’t, the actions are a reward in and of themselves. Knowledge that you have helped another person have a better day is a beautiful thing.