There’s a lot of news out there these days that is troubling to one’s soul and spirit. We seem to revel in what is sensational and salacious. Have you every noticed that acts of kindness seldom make the news?
This story of a random act of kindness concerns my long-time friend, Jane. On the upcoming anniversary of her Dad’s death recently, she was overcome with sadness as she thought about him. For those of us who have lost loved ones, we know how hard these kinds of days can be. Jane and I had commiserated together before the actual date about her feelings, worries, and concerns for the day.
Shortly after the day in question, I spoke with her. “How did you pass the day?” I asked. She replied that she had done a random act of kindness. “What did you do?” was my next question. She proceeded to tell me that she had gone over to the supermarket and decided to pay for the groceries of the person waiting in line behind her. I was in awe of this deed and haven’t stopped thinking about it since she told me.
We talked about how it made her feel better and was a wonderful way to honour her late father. Her Dad would have been both proud and pleased. The recipient of this deed was very surprised, of course, as she told it to me. We discussed how far-reaching such an action would be – from the person receiving this kindness, to the numerous people whose hearts and lives would be touched by hearing this. There’s often a ripple effect with these kinds of things and I’m absolutely sure this ripple effect is still going on.
Although I have known Jane for a long period of time and have heard lots of stories from her, nothing has moved me like this one. Over lunch in High Park the other day, I told her that I couldn’t get this out of my mind and wanted to do a blog on it. She gave me her immediate assent. I hope your heart too will be warmed by this random act of kindness and way of memorializing someone dear to one’s heart. There’s something to take away from this story. Let kindness mark your days!
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all do random acts of kindness on a daily basis? It would enrich our lives and the lives of those around us in a profound and meaningful way. We could end up changing the world and what a beautiful world it would be.
THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION TO ME BY YOUR RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS, JANE.