By Jeanni Ritchie
My mental health had been at an all-time low. I was finally starting to do better, but I was still a little emotionally fragile and it had been a difficult morning.
I was heading out of town, not even out of the driveway when I got the dreaded fraud alert on my bank card. I knew by confirming it had been a fraudulent attempt that my card would be turned off and a new one wouldn’t arrive until I’d returned. I had no choice but to travel without a bank card.
I did have an emergency hundred dollar bill that would take care of emergencies, and the retreat I was headed to was all-inclusive. I would be fine.
About halfway to Grand Coteau, I wanted something to drink. I stopped at three stores, no one willing to break a hundred. I understood policy, but I also had no other option. My explanations fell on deaf ears. Tears of frustration threatened to fall.
I pulled off at the Opelousas exit to use the restroom, resigned to having to wait until I reached Our Lady of the Oaks to get something to drink. When I walked in the door, the employee asked me if I was ready to order.
“No,” I said quietly. “I’ve only got a hundred dollar bill.”
“Oh, no problem,” she quickly said. “My manager will be happy to help you.”
I started crying—that one simple act of kindness spoke to an already bruised soul. It was about much more than a drink and a chicken sandwich. It was humanity, at a time when I needed it the most.
I’ve passed by that Chick-fil-A dozens of times since that day, and each time I want to wrap my arms around the entire building in a giant hug. One simple act of kindness and years later, I still remember it fondly.
May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month, and while much of the conversation rightfully centers around diagnoses, therapy, and self-care, there’s a quieter, often overlooked component that deserves just as much attention: kindness.
Not grand gestures. Not life-altering interventions. Just everyday, ordinary kindness.
A helping hand when someone is at their lowest. A kind word when someone is having a bad day. Just seeing someone—really seeing them—when they feel invisible.
Kindness has a direct impact on mental health—not just for the person receiving it, but for the one giving it as well.
It softens edges.
It disrupts negative thought patterns.
It makes a true difference.
In a world that often feels loud, divided, and fast-moving, kindness matters. It doesn’t require a platform, a title, or a perfectly put-together life.
It just requires awareness.
As we move through Mental Health Awareness Month, the challenge isn’t just to check in on ourselves—but to look outward, too.
To notice.
To pause.
To choose kindness in moments where it would be just as easy not to.
Because you never really know what someone else is carrying.
And you never know when something small might feel big to someone else.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do for mental health isn’t complicated at all.
It’s simply to be kind.
