The worst thing you can do in this life is let someone think that they don't matter. People need each other, and we have the power to inspire others. Everyone wants to feel that someone cares about them.

Some have suggested that sending a condolence card is in fact part of a physician's professional obligation to a patient. Families may be comforted by the affirmation that their loved one was not merely a name on a roster, but a person, whose death is noteworthy.

In the wake of Sandy, I've been reflecting on the relatively upbeat and supportive mood around here and what it can teach us: Specifically, these questions: How come we can't pull together like this all the time?

My husband and I threw a surprise party last week that was better than anything I've seen in a movie.

Any way you slice it, a deeper experience of kindness is what we all inherently desire. We are hardwired for kindness because it is in our spiritual DNA to treat one another with reverence and loving kindness.