Good words: Make America kind again

Last week, I attended the Shining Lights Award ceremony hosted by the Congregation Beth Sholom to honor Fran Ulmer for her distinguished and ongoing career in public service. As explained in the program, Fran was being feted for her spirit of "Tikkun Olam," an effort to repair the world and make it a better place. Through her roles as mayor, state representative, lieutenant governor and chancellor, Fran has indeed reached out to repair the world in her own way. As a member of several national and global boards she continues doing so today.

Although her professional tributes were touching, it was her son's tribute that warmed my heart. Through Lewis' charming remarks and the video from Fran's daughter Amy we got to see the mom side of Fran. But it was through the eyes of Lucas, her grandson, that we got to see Fran as Mary Poppins.

[Shining Lights Award honors Fran Ulmer]

Of course, the highlight was Fran herself; speaking eloquently about the difficult times for the environment, the media and the judicial branch. In telling a story about strolling around the memorials of Washington, D.C., one quote stood out for her. It was from the Martin Luther King memorial.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

She drew parallels to today's time of growing intolerance. The spirit of "Tikkun Olam" was on full display in her extemporaneous speech when she implored the audience of 500 Alaskans "to help make America kind again." Standing ovation!

The next day, I was telling my brother, Tim, about the event for Fran. When I got to the part about Lewis, her son, giving such a warm tribute to his mother, he said, as only an equally loving son would say, "You know Mom would've been 100 years old today."

Of course, I was unaware of this but how appropriate to think of kindness and Mom together. Kindness comes out of empathy, and to the extent I have empathy, it comes from my mother. I have vivid images of her being kind and immediately accepting of all our neighbors wherever we lived. And we lived in many places — New York, Japan, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and Kansas. Her example showed me that acts of kindness help us endure.

[Meet a diner waitress whose kindness made regular customers into lifelong friends]

Now, here on a global level, helping us respond to these challenging times is the Congregation Beth Sholom that raises funds for the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief. The JCDR has been responding to the largest refugee crisis since WWII for three years; providing humanitarian relief to tens of thousands refugees.

My mother served her country as a member of the WAC during World War II. Back then my mother was part of what Tom Brokaw calls "America's Greatest Generation" when America, regardless of gender or race, came together in common cause and went on to build modern America. They did great things, united not only by a common purpose, but also by common values. Now we are a country deeply divided with a president acting out intolerance toward large segments and cultures of Americans. The times could not be more different. We live in a time when working for the government is publicly disparaged. A time when respect for women and science needs to be defended by marches in the streets. We need to start over and kindness is a good place to begin.

The antidote — celebrate a public servant like Fran Ulmer who has served on national commissions and global boards in addition to her long record of elected office for Juneau and Alaska. Take a dip into her 40-year career and you'll see that she embodies civic duty as a noble pursuit. Civic duty is noble; civic duty is "Tikkun Olam."

My takeaway from the evening and this reflection back to my mother's time: We can't do great things without first being kind again. Thank you, Fran, for this important reminder and thank you Mom for teaching me empathy. Here's to making America KIND again!

Kate Troll, author of The Great Unconformity: Reflections on Hope in an Imperiled World, is a longtime Alaskan with over 22 years of experience in coastal management, fisheries and energy policy. She is a former executive director for United Fishermen of Alaska and the Alaska Conservation Voters. She's been elected to local office in Ketchikan and Juneau.

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