Kindness

More often than not, we take acts of kindness for granted. I know I have many times. We realize it's a nice gesture, but that's where it ends. No other thoughts or feelings. But these little things sometimes help me remember there's still good people in this life. Last week my dad and I were going golfing. We stopped to get coffee on the way to the course and ran into a man who goes to our church. I couldn't remember his name or what he did, but the minute we walked in, he saw me and asked, "Are you golfing today?" I replied that yes, I was, thinking that would be the end of it, we would say our nice to see yous and goodbyes and go on with our day. He said, "Come on," and started walking with us to the counter. He opened his wallet, took out a gift card, and gave it to the cashier and told her to take care of our order. I think I was smiling the whole time we were in the coffee shop. I wasn't expecting anything to come of our encounter, yet he helped us without any hesitation.

Then, at the beginning of the week, I was at work and my sister Elizabeth called me. My sister Hannah had cut her hand and had to go to urgent care to get stitches (she ended up getting 12). I was telling some of my coworkers about it and one of them told me I could bring her a slice of pie that she had brought in for us. Hannah was so touched by her actions. Letting someone know you care, even if you don't know them; that's unheard of nowadays.

It doesn't matter how small it is. These things can impact people. I loved that cashier lady's reaction to the man from my church ( I really wish I could remember his name). At first, she was surprised. Then, the realization of what he had just done started to sink in. She smiled, looked at us, and cheerfully made our drinks. I bet she was like that for the rest of the day. Hannah happily ate her pie and it lifted her spirits. She was no longer down after that.

So, I guess the old cliche is true. You never know who is watching you. So the next you think about giving up your seat on the bus or helping someone carry groceries, why not take a chance and do it?