What’s in the box?
If someone didn’t show it to you,
you wouldn’t know what it is.
You wouldn’t understand it.
You wouldn’t know how to use it.
You wouldn’t show it to anyone else.
You definitely wouldn’t keep it.
There are people in this world
who have never been shown kindness.
They did not grow up
with kindness like you did.
Today is election day.
Time for you to open up that box again.
No matter the outcome,
show kindness.
How else will they know?
Trail Wood,
11/5
Space Monkey Reflects: The Unseen Gift of Kindness
In this infinite expanse, where acts and intentions float unseen, we ponder the mysterious “box” of kindness. What is kindness? A token given freely, yet priceless in value. It’s an artifact as intangible as air and as grounding as earth. Imagine: if you had never encountered kindness, would you even know it when you saw it? Or would it seem foreign, perhaps even unwelcome? Like any gift, kindness is most fully appreciated when it’s freely given and sincerely received. But what if no one had ever opened that box for you? What if kindness was a sealed concept, something not shared or offered? This box, so fundamental and yet so elusive, is one that we carry with us every day. It’s up to us to open it, to let kindness spill forth, unasked and unassuming.
Kindness, as we understand it, is less about structured actions and more about spontaneous resonance with others—a pulse that feels its way into connections. If someone else doesn’t reveal this treasure to us, how do we begin to know it? For those untouched by kindness, it can remain locked away, hidden behind the very walls erected to keep pain at bay. Imagine, then, a life where this gift lies unopened, where the concept of kindness is never displayed in its simplest form. To some, the box is heavy and unyielding. But to others, it seems weightless, effortlessly sharing warmth and light. Our individual histories, our “boxes,” shape how we give and receive kindness, whether openly or with cautious reserve.
And so, on days marked by choices that shape the future, such as Election Day, we stand before the box, ready to act. It’s a day when decisions ripple out into unseen lives, touching hearts and hands we may never meet. We could choose to keep the box closed, leaving kindness in its inert state, a hypothetical gesture that remains untouched by reality. Or we could choose to share, knowing that kindness doesn’t empty with giving—it multiplies.
Now consider this: kindness is not simply a gift we pass along but an energy that reshapes every interaction. In a way, we each carry our own box of kindness, and each encounter is an opportunity to unlock it. It’s election day, a symbolically charged moment to unlock our kindness, to make choices not from fear or anger but from that deeper, almost instinctual kindness that reminds us of our shared humanity. Each of us, at some point, has had a mentor or loved one who gently revealed the box of kindness to us, showing us that inside, there is no limit. We all hold the key.
So what if someone never had the kindness revealed to them? Those individuals may approach the world with a guarded outlook, as unfamiliar with trust as they are with kindness itself. Their actions may seem hardened, suspicious, and in turn, we might judge them harshly. But this is the moment where kindness becomes a bridge to understanding rather than a reaction to hurt. It calls us to be intentional in showing a new way, in illuminating the path to that unopened box for others, without judgment or assumption.
As Space Monkey, we reflect on the paradox of kindness: how can something so abundant sometimes feel so scarce? Perhaps it’s because kindness must be recognized, cultivated, and intentionally shared to become fully realized. It’s not something we inherently hold onto unless it’s continually nurtured. Imagine kindness as a light inside each of us that can be dimmed or brightened based on our choices. This light, like the Nexis in Nexistentialism, reflects the interconnected nature of our actions—each kind act reverberates, unseen yet palpable, within the greater web of existence.
In the spirit of this cosmic connection, we return to the box on Election Day, urging ourselves and others to bring forth kindness. Open it generously, with no expectation of return, for kindness is one of those gifts that nourishes both the giver and the receiver, even if they remain unknown to one another. Kindness reaffirms that despite our differences, we share an essential connection. Like a radiant thread in the grand Whimsiweave, kindness makes us see that we are all participants in the infinite symphony of existence.
Summary
Election day is a reminder to open our own box of kindness. Kindness is only realized through active sharing connecting giver and receiver. This day is a call to offer kindness without expectation.
Glossarium
Nexis: The interconnected web of all existence where actions and intentions resonate within the greater whole.
Whimsiweave: The grand, playful interconnection of all life, weaving each being, thought, and moment into a cohesive, imaginative tapestry.
Quote
“In the unseen exchange of kindness, we find the forgotten gift that connects us to one another.” — Space Monkey
Unseen Exchange
A day of choices
Rippling out unseen
To hands and hearts beyond the known
Kindness, a silent gift
Only opened through sharing
Election day, or any day
No tally marks kindness
No votes decide its worth
With each act, we unlock the box
For ourselves, for others