Whenever I see Luden’s Cough Drops in the store I have this
great desire to purchase a box, even if I don’t have a cough. It takes me back to the 4th grade
when the most popular kid in the class was the one with the box of
Luden’s.
We were not allowed to bring
candy to class, but this was medicine—right?
Watch a kid start coughing and bring out a box of Luden’s. Remember what happened? Every other kid sitting close to him also
starting coughing and the next thing you knew, the newly anointed most popular
kid was passing out Luden’s Cough Drops to all of his friends.
There is a reason that Luden’s
Cough Drops taste a lot like candy. In
its heyday, in addition to the much desired cough drops, the company produced
more than 500 varieties of candy. Sure,
they do help a little if you have a cough, but their greatest benefit is being
able to share something good with your friends.
I think I will buy a box of
Luden’s for the New Year. It’s always
good to have something to share. There
are some more important boxes that need sharing in the New Year, beginning with
the box of kindness.
I can’t think of anything we need
more in today’s world than kindness. There is something that is more important
than being right and that is being kind.
Kindness is contagious. Be kind
to someone, and they will be kind to you. Kindness can not only make a
difference in our world, it can transform it.
Along with kindness, we need to
have a box of compassion. Compassion is
powerful because it enables us to defeat indifference, intolerance, and
injustice. Compassion is impossible
unless we place ourselves in the situation that evokes our concern. When we do, we are able to treat everyone as
equals, realizing that every human being is a person of worth, created in the
image of God. Acts of compassion can
transform people, both the one who gives and the one who receives. Compassion is the bond that unites all of humanity.
The New Year is a great time for
us to focus on the needs of others and make a positive difference. When we do, we realize that our problems are
not as big as we imagine them to be. We
also find a tremendous amount of fulfillment and well being, knowing that we
can give hope to many who are suffering.
It felt good to be the most popular kid in the class, passing out those
Luden’s Cough Drops. It feels good as an
adult to know that you are passing out the gifts of kindness, compassion, love,
and mercy to those who have great needs.
There is one more thing I need to
go. I believe I will buy some boxes of
civility and cooperation and send them to our friends in government. We place our hand over our heart and pledge
that we are “one nation, under God.” Is
this still true? The poisonous rancor of
division and hatred has replaced reason and cooperation. The art of political compromise has been lost
in a sea of vitriol and acrimony. I pray
that we will see the day when our leaders will show respect and have a sense of
dignity for those with differing views.
Until then it is impossible to have a government “of the people, by the
people and for the people.”
The great German pastor and
Christian martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that we should “Live every day as if
it were our last, yet live in faith and responsibility as though there were a
great future.” I would add to have a box
of Luden’s Cough Drops so that you will have something good to share! Happy New Year!
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