A Little Kindness Can Go a Long Way

In our hustle-and-bustle society where we are constantly running the “rat race” so that we can “make it” (wealth, status, popularity, acceptance, etc.) we sometimes leave behind our humanity. Rather than talk to one another we text, tweet, post to Instagram or Snapchat, or, for us older folks, email, voicemail or even (gasp) snail mail. Where does that leave us in the area of caring and compassion for one another? Often times the answer is nowhere.

Perhaps a solution may be to slow ourselves down enough to make room for some really neat human things: spending time with loved ones, lending an ear to someone who is going through a tough time in life, cooking a meal for someone else, keeping vigil at the bedside of a sick friend or family member, giving (not loaning) money to someone who is struggling, or just sitting in the living room with our daughter or son and watching a program on the TV (without uttering a single word), just being there.

As a society we have forgotten how to do some of these things. We can all come up with reasons why this is so. However, we only need to come up with one reason to try and turn this around. When is the last time we just did something out of the kindness of our hearts, without expecting anything in return? Was it 5 years ago, 6 months, or was it as recent yesterday?

I am reminded of an instance, about 7 years ago, when I was standing in line at my neighborhood Safeway behind a young pregnant woman. When the cashier finished ringing up her small amount of groceries she was not able to pay the full amount. She began to remove items off the conveyor belt and asked the cashier to begin subtracting each item from the total. I instantly knew what she was trying to do. It was evident she was going to take away all the non-essential items until the total dipped down to a level where she was able to pay for it with the money she had.

The problem was that it looked like she could really use every item she removed, but because she could not afford the total, she had to prioritize. Without asking, I told the cashier to ring up all the groceries she had initially put on the conveyor belt and add it to my items, and I would pay for all of it together. I dared not look at the young soon-to-be mother, because I did not want her to experience any embarrassment. Before I could say anything, the cashier commented, “That is really a nice thing to do sir.” The bagger put her meager amount of grocery items in her bag and as she was ready to leave she turned toward me and said with tears running down her cheeks, “Thank you so much, that was so kind of you.”

We (the cashier and I) watched as the young pregnant woman gathered up her groceries and made her way toward the exit. By now both the cashier and I had tears running down our faces as well. A little kindness can go a long way! Now, the key is to integrate this as part of a conscious routine. We can all make the world a better place, one act of kindness at a time.

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