“Tried To Be Kind”

Jacinda Ardern has recently resigned as the Prime Minister of New Zealand. She was only in that position for five years, but has stepped aside simply because she doesn’t feel that she has enough energy left to do the job properly. She had some serious issues to deal with in this time, including of course the Covid years, and her honesty is kind of refreshing.

But I’m not usually in the habit of reporting on the comings and goings of politicians. Except for the fact that this particular mention of her leaving stood out to me - when asked how she would like New Zealanders to remember her leadership, Ardern said:

“as someone who always Tried To Be Kind”.

And all I’ve got to say is - more of that please. It’s not a cure all. But if kindness were really the guiding light for our top politicians, then we might be able to genuinely hope for better government.