Simple Kindness

My beautiful granddaughter was installed into the National Honor Society at Biship Fenwick
High School last week...the ceremony was lovely and the students were happy and excited but the thing I came away with was a speech by the Essex District Attorney, Jonathan Blodgett.

He talked about the decisions they will make in their lifetimes and what will happen because of them. He also talked about something everyone can do and that is simple everyday kindness to each other and strangers. Let someone go before you. Hold the door for someone. Check on a neighbor. The kinds of things we all should do but forget in our everyday busy lives.

This morning, running around doing errands, I had the opportunity to put this in motion. I noticed a young mother ahead of me in line putting stuff aside because she found she couldn't afford all the things she had put in her carriage. She looked like a normal but harassed young mother, three children from about one to age five and she was pregnant. Oh my gosh. Of course, it was none of my business, but that has never stopped me. I was going to buy a few outside plants and had an extra twenty dollars on me so I walked over to her and the cashier,
how much is she over I asked quietly. The poor women was red as a beet and just put her head down and mumbled she would come back later and get the rest of the things. I think it came to about eleven dollars so I gave the cashier the money and the mother the change. I told her to pass it on. Sometime when she saw another person who needed a hand maybe she could give it to them.

I felt so good. Much better then the poor women or anyone else who was getting cranky because of waiting extra time in line. So really, pass it on. Let someone go before you in traffic. Pay the toll for someone in line after you. Not huge amounts of money, but just enough to let you feel good.