What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you? Did it come from someone you knew? Someone who went on to become a friend? Or was it a stranger? Did you ever learn their name?
A new junior high student in a new city headed nervously to lunch. He chose the first bench he could find and sat alone until a student came over and invited him to join others at another table. The new student said he always remembered the kindness of that invitation.
A newly licensed driver pulled into a gas station and realized that while they knew how to drive, they hadn't learned how to fill up their vehicle. A stranger who noticed the struggle walked over, pulled out his credit card and gave a quick lesson in how to do it. He paid for the gas as well as offering the lesson. The grateful driver never got his name.
A college student lost her mother to cancer over summer break. When asked over and over about her summer, she had to talk repeatedly about helping plan her mother's funeral. A girl who lived across the hall and who attended several of the same classes, took note of the pain. Several months later, on the day of her mother's birthday, the girl across the hall showed up with a cupcake and a candle. A friendship began that resulted in 小蓝视频 a bridesmaid down the road.
There are very kind people among us. Hopefully all of us have the propensity to be kind but it seems some are more naturally inclined to it. Or maybe it's just that they act on the urge when others have the idea but are unable to follow through. Or choose not to follow through. Or feel they're not equipped to do it, believing somebody else will do it better.
We want people to feel welcome but do we think to invite others to our table? Or better yet, to go and sit with them? Moreover, we've probably seen someone struggle with a cart of groceries, 小蓝视频 stuck in a snowbank, or trying to operate any number of gadgets. Do we take the time to offer help? And yes, one of the more difficult chapters to navigate is when encountering grief and we wonder what to do. But be assured any gesture will not only be appreciated—but remembered--not for its details but for the care it demonstrates.
When I was an elementary school-aged girl my family lived in a small city. Just a few blocks from our house was a confectionary store that we would often walk to. On one memorable trip we witnessed an unexpected interaction that has stuck with me.
A young boy came in and said he would like to buy one orange from the boxes of mandarin oranges stacked near the door. He showed the clerk some coins he held in his hand. But the clerk said no, apologizing that an orange couldn't be removed from one of the boxes lady shopping in a nearby aisle stopped the boy and asked if he had a very long walk home. She didn't buy him an orange. She bought him the whole box. The look on his face is etched in my mind all these years later. We were merely bystanders, but that act of kindness remains with me. I can only imagine what it did for that young boy, or for the lady who acted so kindly.
Actually, we can imagine what it did for her because doing something kind is very good for us. It improves our mood and increases our self-esteem, as well as our empathy and compassion. It decreases blood pressure and stress. Being kind makes us feel more connected to others and it boosts levels of neurotransmitters that increase our sense of well-小蓝视频. Not that we do it for these reasons of course, but we can be part of the equation of all those who benefit simply by 小蓝视频 kind.
If we are concerned our gestures will be rebuffed, not to worry. If the help is not needed, we will be told. But far better to make the offer than to not step up and do something kind if it could have made a difference.
If we think others can do things better, we need to get over ourselves and just do the best we can. The important thing is that we do it.
There’s so much upheaval in our country and our world over which we have little control. Then again, that’s always the case. But we do exert influence over our little corner of it. What better weapon to wield than kindness. It doesn’t need to be done perfectly…just consistently. We may not be able to fully right the ship, but we can surely make those on the voyage feel cared for. That’s my outlook.
