Kindness & Heritage

Kindness and heritage are two things that are very close to my heart because both are connected to how we understand ourselves and how we treat other people.

That is part of why I created National Intentional Kindness Day, observed every August 24. I wanted the word “intentional” to be part of it because kindness should be something we choose consciously. The way we speak to people, encourage them, include them, and make them feel respected can stay with them much longer than we realize.

I also created Heritage and Heart Day, observed every October 15, to celebrate our roots, family stories, traditions, and cultural identity while encouraging respect for people from every race, ethnicity, and background.

Although my Filipino heritage is an important part of who I am, Heritage and Heart Day was never meant to celebrate only one culture. I want it to be a day where everyone can feel proud of where they come from and where children can learn that their heritage matters, no matter what race, ethnicity, or culture they belong to.

That same message carries into my books. I want children to grow up knowing that who they are matters, where they come from matters, and they never have to feel less important because their story looks different from someone else’s. At the same time, I hope they learn to appreciate and respect people whose traditions, languages, and backgrounds may be different from their own.

Traveling and experiencing many cultures has only strengthened that belief for me. The more of the world I have seen, the more I have realized how much we can learn from one another when we stay open, respectful, and kind.

For me, kindness and heritage belong together. Be proud of who you are, honor where you come from, respect the stories of others, and never forget to make people feel that they matter too.