Of Peelers, K-Dramas, and Kindness

A simple peeler set off interesting train of thoughts today.

This morning, as I was about to scrape some carrots, I noticed my favourite peeler was missing. Instinctively, I assumed my husband had misplaced it—after all, there had been a few such incidents before. Without skipping a beat, I asked him, “Why did you misplace the peeler again?”

That small question quickly turned into a minor argument—who uses it more, who bought it, why always him, and so on.

Thankfully, my mindfulness training kicked in just in time. I paused. Took a breath. And reflected—what exactly was I doing?

In that moment, my mind flashed to a scene from a K-drama I’ve been watching. A young patient sneaks out of the hospital at night and gets hurt. When she's brought back, it’s the doctor who apologizes to her—for not being there when she needed him.

That scene suddenly put things into perspective. I wasn’t even sure who had misplaced the peeler, yet I had jumped to conclusions and pointed fingers.

It reminded me of a 5-year-old in my phonics class who forgot to do his homework. Without hesitation, he said, “My mother didn’t remind me. It’s not my fault!” At such a young age, we’re already learning to shift blame instead of taking responsibility.

And as adults? We’re often no better. We speak of self-love—and I’m all for it—but sometimes, we tip over into narcissism. When things go wrong, we rush to find someone to blame instead of pausing to ask: What really happened?

Where has kindness gone?

In one of my summer camps, I asked children what kindness meant. Their answers were sweet but limited. “Getting a glass of water for mom.” “Helping someone cross the road.” These were their go-to examples—kind, but clichéd.

It took time—and many activities—for them to realise that kindness is so much more. It’s being respectful, speaking gently, being punctual, doing your own chores, smiling at others, and greeting people warmly. Kindness isn't just a one-off act—it’s a way of being.

Maybe that’s why I enjoy K-dramas so much. The way respect and kindness are naturally woven into everyday dialogue and family dynamics is refreshing. Children there grow up seeing and hearing kindness, not just being told about it.

An ad in today’s newspaper caught my attention—not for what it sold, but for what it said. It read:
“We got here by keeping the best company: You.” It was from Cred, a payment platform. I don’t even use it, but those warm words made me pause, re-read, and even look up the brand. That’s the power of kind words.

Anyway—back to my peeler. I eventually found it tucked away behind a bowl in the drying rack. No one had misplaced it.

I felt a pang of shame. I had assumed. Blamed. Reacted.  But I was also grateful; grateful that mindfulness helped me pause, reflect, and stop myself before making it worse.

Some of life’s best lessons come from the unlikeliest of things- like a missing peeler.

 

“Kindness is doing what you can, where you are, with what you have.” —RAKtivist