So I've been thinking a lot about kindness lately. It's such a simple little thing but it brings such amazing rewards. It's back to that "juggling breakables" idea. You know, everything important to you is up in the air all the time and you are trying your best to pay close attention to all of them, making sure you never, never drop them for fear they might break. Well, kindness, I think, is one of the jugglers hands (in my mind there are many hands). It's one of the pieces to the puzzle that keeps the breakables safe in the air. Isn't it interesting that sometimes we (OK, I really mean me) talk to our loved ones, our family, in tones that we would never use with a stranger? How crazy is that? And do we take time out to make sure that we display kindness to everyone around us?
Case in point. The other day I was driving around, running errands. I drove past my next door neighbor, walking down Highway 43. Now, we are not neighborly friendly to each other (i.e. they wanted to sue us) but nevertheless the thought occurred to me that maybe her car broke down and she needed a ride. What did I do? I kept driving. I mean, I was in a hurry man! But you know what, it has been haunting me ever since. Maybe that was the kindness I was supposed to show that would start the end of the strain between our families. My moment of greatness is gone. Most nights I pray that I can be given opportunities to serve. I guess now I should pray that I can recognize when they come.
I have also been thinking a lot about the amazing kindness people have shown to me. A few stick out in my brain. It may be a bad idea for me to try and list them for fear that some may be left out falsely making it seem like it was less special than the others. But here goes, off the top of my head:
My friend Chelsea called some of my friends in high school to let them know that Kelly had died, even though I was sitting right next to her. She shed tears but did it anyway. My college friend Stacie dropped everything to come and spend the night with me when my boyfriend of 5 years and I broke up. When I really wished I had been the winner of the amazing carved box at a nursing conference, my friend Leslie who really did win it, gave it to me. When my back went crazy bad my friend Amy drove 45 minutes to my house to wash my hair. Wash my hair! It was glorious. My brother Sean and SIL Julie bought me a rocking chair from the DI before Lilly was born when we couldn't afford one. Barb Adamson hugged me even after I acted like I didn't want it when I suffered my first miscarriage. Kimmy Lobby sat out at the nurses' station all day on the day that Lilly was born to capture film and interview my family and friends all incognito like so that she and Michael could put together the most amazing Maternity Ward ever seen. Heather Digby spent most of the morning this today sitting with Alex, pep talking him, and helping to see that he can be successful in school.
I know that hundreds of other random acts of kindness have been performed on my behalf, and that of my family. It is my goal to remember and record them in some fashion before they leave my memory forever. Try this! It will completely put a smile on your face and hopefully brighten your day.
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