I should participate in this writing activity every day to perfect my prose, but sometimes life happens. When I saw this topic, I could not resist.
In more than five decades, I’ve been blessed with many kind acts from family, friends, and strangers. I am unable to classify the depth of merit of each gesture to decide which has been the all-time favorite or best. So, I will give a shout-out to a few.
Mrs. Kite, my junior high English teacher, for discreetly rubbing off my mother’s rouge that I secretly applied that morning. She was trying to spare me the embarrassment of looking like Bozo the Clown as I walked the school hallway.
An anonymous individual who sent me a Happy New Year card in December of 2015 with a substantial Walmart gift card inside. I was newly divorced, working full-time, raising three teenagers, yes – receiving child support, no – not receiving spousal support (I never asked for it even though we had been married 20 years; I didn’t want it), and just trying to keep things afloat. When I came home from work that day and opened the card, I sat down and cried. Why would someone want to share their wealth with me? There was no return address, and the postmark was from two counties west of me. I had no clue who sent it and that has always bothered me because I was raised right, and well, a proper thank you needed to be sent!
Brian — my boyfriend, at the time and now my husband – mowed my yard for me one night. The kids and I had a fairly decent-sized yard and all I had was a push mower. Some nights the last thing I wanted to do was mow that stinking yard after putting in a nine-hour work day in addition to 80 minutes of time spent on the road. The kids and I took turns, but at the end of the day, time spent on homework, sports, and jobs were more important to me than them pushing a mower around. It had been a very busy weekend and come Sunday night the mowing was still on my to-do list. As I headed home, in the distance I could see an image of someone walking in my yard. As I pulled into the drive, there was Brian mowing my yard. Such a wonderful gesture on his part!
Marissa, my “work daughter”, used to bring me coffee on Monday mornings. There was a local brewhouse that carried a special red raspberry and white chocolate coffee that I loved. One day, she returned to work carrying a whole carafe that she brewed while on her lunch. I loved working with her!
Sarah — my best friend. She has exceeded her kindness-ometer ten-fold. In the past, she sent flowers when I started a new job, visited me when I was battling an illness (she lives six hours away), and sends random texts filled with hope, joy, and rays of sunshine. Recently, during her first week back at school, she requested a day off, had to make sub plans, and drove the six hours to come to my father’s funeral. I never asked her to come, and I wouldn’t have — especially during her first week back. But, there she was. And, I was glad!
For me, kindness is a choice. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It simply has to come from the heart. And somehow, the smallest gestures have a way of staying with us the longest.
Until next time,
—Molly