An Except from Chapter 7 of the Willow’s Tree Gift: The Old Ewe with the Copper Bell
Bells clanged. The doll was in a pen that fenced hundreds of sheep, all with bells. The sheepdog sat just beyond the fence and watched
Stories about Kindness. Books that Inspire Self-Awareness.
Bells clanged. The doll was in a pen that fenced hundreds of sheep, all with bells. The sheepdog sat just beyond the fence and watched
“Ouch!” The little mouse doll squeaked. The cat’s fangs bit into his cloth head. The cat dropped him. The doll rolled in the dirt. He
You can now enjoy the Little Mouse Doll’s adventure into kindness with the hardcover book from Barnes and Noble! Enjoy the 20 full-color illustrations of
Our adventures continue with some foul plotting afoot. Enjoy!
Introducing a new web series that shares heroic stories from a fantastical land of good and evil, magic and mayhem. Please welcome our champions, Dame
Found these finger puppets in Charleston, South Carolina at the Town Center. They were nestled among the many wooden tables of traders and artists that
We are born from wondrous imagination. Our ink-scratched doodles are sprawled on a blank paper, and emerge from the never-were to suddenly arrive. We are
Check out Willow Tree’s Gift, one of IndieReader’s best reviewed books of December 2017!
Willow Tree’s Gift, by Sebastian A. Barnes has been reviewed by IndieReader! IndieReader is a powerful community for independently published authors to promote and share
The Willow Tree’s Gift is a story about kindness. This topic is personal to me, and I learned through my research on kindness in history,
An excerpt from Willow Tree’s Gift, Chapter Two: Wonder. In this chapter you are introduced to the novel’s protagonist. Enjoy… His button eyes came to
I am pleased to announce a project that has been sixteen months in the making: the upcoming release of my next novel, “Willow Tree’s Gift.”
…to watch a sunset, and know it’s your last. Would you curse it, as you would a life-ending disease, detesting the flaring colors across the
…that comforts. I like sunny days and the outdoors. But I like how I’m cozy in my quilts before I awake and greet the day
…he knows there is a difference between a dog and a cat. And he knows what makes him what he is: sharp claws, soft fur,
By Chris Douglas Those moments when someone needs you to put your actions where your principles are, and you can think of a thousand reasons
by Ariel and Sebastian Barnes My youngest sister lives in New York City. I occasionally visit her, and it was one fall morning while we
During the 90 days of our Winter of Kindness we explored nearly 200 concepts of kindness and cruelty. We asked ourselves daring and even scary
90 Days. 90 Entries. Nearly 200 ideas of kindness and cruelty shared. Over 50,000 words. These are the most commonly used concepts during winter of
Our winter of kindness has ended, and today is the first day of spring. Look outside, what do you see? For most of the world
So, how has kindness inspired us this week? This week we explored “what if” questions of how we ought to live. We asked, what if
We all have fears. We fear creatures that can harm us. We fear forces that can crush us. We fear people who can abuse us.
Time is the ultimate limited resource. We can always grow more food. We can always build more things. We can always earn more money. As
There is an inherit mindfulness in wisdom…the quality of having good judgment…to reflect on our experiences and anticipate the impact of our actions. If we
Where is a safe place you can go? Think about a place where you are not alone, but alone with friends or family. These are
Why are we here? Where did all things…that make up us…that make up the universe…come from? Can something come from nothing? These are big questions
Each week we started our kindness rituals with the question: how has kindness inspired us this week? But this week we didn’t explore kindness…we explored
Cruelty is the result of blind behavior or malicious manners that erodes good will and fosters suffering. This week we explored how we are sometimes
When we avoid risk we believe pain is not necessary. We try to prevent what is inevitable by grasping at as many happy moments as
It is courageous to live our best life now. Our minds must be disciplined because we become what we think. Our aspirations must be focused
We have been taught opposites create a balance, and therefore cancel each other when they collide. We have been taught if we bring hate into
All of us, even the most conscious, are sometimes unkind. At our best we count our needs and desires as important as others. But ultimately
Without light there is darkness. A bright light casts away the veil, the hazy, the cloak and the gloom. Even faint light gives us clear
So, how has kindness inspired us this week? This week we shared a few perspectives from my friends, family and colleagues. They are people who
Trenton Cycholl, my mentor and friend, is an innovative technology leader for a multi-billion dollar business. His personal style is values driven, fostering respect, humility,
Today, my brother, Thomas Barnes, an honorably discharged marine, a telecommunications consultant and a second-year law student at the University of Baltimore shares the power
Today, my sister, Ariel Barnes, shares insights on kindness. She is a freelance writer, and has success as an online satirical advice columnist. She is
Today, a long time friend, Chris Douglas, shares a fable of kindness. As an international traveller and trader, he has had the unique perspective to
Today, my friend and colleague, Amy Haworth, shares what kindness means to her. As a mother and mentor, professional and philosopher, she braves the unknown
This week, to offer new voices and a different perspective, guest writers will contribute to Winter of Kindness. I have reached out to my friends
So, how has kindness inspired us this week? This week we explored archetypes. They are “themes…or patterns in our lives…that represent behaviors that influence us
Are you a lover or a fighter? If you believe this is asking if we choose forgiveness and acceptance, temperance and grace when facing adversity,
I believe men and women can be anything they want. We discussed this when we explored the chivalric code weeks ago. I wrote… Gender roles
Is work just…work? It can be, if you let it. Consider how much time we spend earning our living. Wouldn’t it be an awful waste
As a child my favorite book series was “Redwall “ by Brian Jacques. It was a tale about woodland animals living in harmony in a
This Winter of Kindness has given us a few themes…empowerment, acting with intent and mindfulness. We also discussed identity. Our identity is defined by what
Weeks ago we talked about how we can be the heroes of our stories. Just like the stories we see in movies, or read in
So, how has kindness inspired us this week? This was “Random Acts of Kindness” week and we explored the organizations and things people do to
Yesterday we explored how kindness is taught to others. Sometimes the most impactful lessons are the ones we teach ourselves, and that is why it
This week I’ve had an opportunity to learn about some of the people who rally with the organizations that aspire kindness. Their causes were all