Mona Liza Santos
KINDNESS AND HERITAGE
Celebrating the City of National City’s official recognition of kindness and cultural heritage initiatives founded by Mona Liza Santos.
I’ve always believed that two things can bring people closer together: the kindness we show one another and the stories we carry about where we come from.
Kindness doesn’t always require a grand gesture. Sometimes it’s checking on someone, including a person who feels left out, offering encouragement, or simply taking the time to listen.
Heritage is just as meaningful to me. Growing up between Filipino and American cultures taught me how much our family traditions, memories, and experiences shape who we become. And after traveling to more than 70 countries and destinations, I’ve come to appreciate how much there is to learn from people whose backgrounds are different from mine.
Those beliefs eventually inspired me to create two observances that are especially close to my heart.
National Intentional Kindness Day — August 24
I founded National Intentional Kindness Day to encourage people to make kindness something they consciously practice, rather than something they think about only on special occasions.
It’s a reminder that we don’t have to wait for the perfect moment to make someone feel appreciated. We can choose to be thoughtful in the way we speak, include others, offer help, and treat people in our everyday lives.
My hope is that families, schools, workplaces, and communities will use August 24 as an opportunity to put those values into action. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Even a small act of kindness can mean a great deal to the person receiving it.
National Intentional Kindness Day has been recognized through an official proclamation by the City of National City, California, a milestone that means a great deal to me.
Heritage and Heart Day — October 15
Heritage and Heart Day grew from another belief I’ve carried throughout my life: understanding where we come from helps us appreciate who we are.
Being Filipina American, I’ve experienced what it’s like to grow up with more than one cultural influence. I’ve also learned that heritage isn’t only about where someone was born. It’s found in family recipes, languages, celebrations, music, traditions, and the stories passed from one generation to the next.
I created Heritage and Heart Day to encourage people to share those stories, celebrate their roots, and learn about the traditions of others.
A family might spend the day looking through old photographs, cooking a favorite childhood meal, sharing memories with grandparents, or introducing children to a tradition they haven’t experienced before.
It’s also an invitation to look beyond our own experiences and appreciate the people who make our communities so wonderfully different.
Heritage and Heart Day has also received official recognition through a proclamation by the City of National City, California.
Why These Days Matter to Me
Although these observances celebrate different ideas, I see them as closely connected.
Kindness influences how we treat people. Heritage helps us understand the experiences and traditions that shape them.
When children learn to appreciate their own identity while showing respect for others, they’re building something meaningful that can stay with them as they grow.
These are also values I explore through my children’s books and the work I’m building through World Love Press. Stories can introduce children to feelings, cultures, and experiences they may not have encountered before, giving families and educators a comfortable place to begin conversations.
For me, these observances aren’t about creating another date on the calendar. They’re about encouraging people to take the ideas behind them into everyday life.
An Invitation to Celebrate
I’d love to see more families, educators, cultural organizations, and communities find their own ways to participate in these observances.
There isn’t one perfect way to celebrate. You can share a family story, teach a child about their heritage, learn something about another culture, or make a thoughtful gesture toward someone who needs encouragement.
What matters is making those moments intentional.
I hope National Intentional Kindness Day and Heritage and Heart Day will continue giving people reasons to connect, learn from one another, and create memories worth passing on.
And perhaps the most meaningful part is that we don’t have to wait until August 24 or October 15 to live by those values.
Kindness and cultural understanding are things we can practice throughout the year.