“Be the change you want to see in the world” Mahatma Ghandi
Yesterday a friend of mine was over for lunch when my postman, Lloyd, came in my front screen door to drop my mail.
Lloyd is one of those people who makes you happy you are alive. He is fit and energetic, slim and alive with goodness. He is almost 70 but looks 55. Last year he had cancer and was missing from our route for 8 months- a reality we all in our neighbourhood felt deeply.
It was very warm and humid yesterday, I saw the sweat darkening his blue shirt, so I offered him a glass of cold juice. He accepted, said “God bless you” more than once.
My friend said- you are likely the only person in a 5 mile radius who leaves cookies in your mailbox for your postman and offers him juice.
I hope that is not true but it reminded me of my very good friend’s darling mom who used to tape a $10 bill to the lid of her garbage can at Christmas for the garbage men. Years later she was pulled over for speeding, cop asked for her liscence and when he saw the address he smiled and said “I was a garbage man before becoming a cop. I remember you. Thank you” No ticket.
I don’t do the small good stuff because I hope to get something back. When you do something human and good you are getting back in that very moment. Besides, of all the many BIG things in life that are hard or impossible to change, there are a million small things that you can do your way to make a difference.
These people are the landscape to my daily life.
Imagine this soft velvet revolution of change that you can lead.
This is power.
Please share your stories of your little acts of kindness with us here. Let’s inspire each other-
Thanks once again! I really enjoy following your writing 🙂
Calcutta- ish!!! Love that way of referring to heat.
It is the small things that make life and I knew you would get that, grumbler.
love this story, Id and thank you for sharing. It sounds just like you.
Oh, these little acts of kindness matter the most, I think! During the super-crazy hot days of summer, I sometimes take some watermelon or popsicles to the people who work at the dry-cleaners near my house. If it’s a sauna outside, you can’t imagine how Calcutta-ish it is inside the store. I’ve been taking my clothes to this place for about 15 years… they’re lovely, friendly people who are always kind to me, always had a treat for my dog whenever he was with me, and then they’ve been subsequently darling with my children… it’s takes no heroic effort to be sweet with people – especially the people in your neighbourhood (Thank you, Mr. Rogers!) who help make your day easy, if not pleasant.
Smiling is the easiest way of all, methinks. 🙂
Nancy,
I have a few since I learned from my parents the way of little things. I get weepy when I think of them.
But here’s mine.
When I was 18, I ran to our local drugstore to buy bus tickets to head off to university for the day.
I paid the young woman behind the cash with a $20. I was late for school so I grabbed my tickets and change and ran off.
When I was on the bus I was tucking my change in my wallet and I was sick with the awareness that she gave me change for a $50 dollar bill.
I could wait to finish my school day that I rode the bus back to the drugstore and thank the heavens, she was still working. It was priceless to see the look of surprise when I returned with the cash.
She breathlessly told me how grateful she was because she would have had to pay up the short till amount. I would not have been able to sleep that night if I had missed giving it back to her.
She insisted out of her pocket money she wanted to buy me a lottery ticket, those pop tab ones. I accepted and we both were in hysterics when it won $100 bucks. I wanted to split it with her and she refused. ‘No way” she said.
I was just watching the first episode of Mildred Pierce on Netflix and a character said:
Do your bit and more, and life will take care of itself.
Thank you Nancy for this post, it is important to share stories of kindness. Not for bragging rights but rather because all need to know that goodness is out there so we don’t get discouraged when we are overwhelmed by the negativity of the media.
This week a 3 year old boy was returned home after his abduction. I do believe in the power of goodness.
x
i