A while back I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed before bed. In between all of the negative/positive posts about JLO and Shakira’s performance, which completely rocked in my opinion, (I hope I’m that strong and fierce when I’m 50) I saw a post that actually got me to stop and think.
The post was very simple and so profound. It said “Today you could be standing next to someone who is trying their best not to fall apart. So whatever you do today, do it with kindness in your heart.” -Choose Kindness.
A few months ago, I was at a grocery store that I shop at on occasion that typically has one cashier on. I was the third customer in line and there were a few customers behind me and what I assumed to be a family of four with two teenagers, and a developmentally disabled woman at the checkout. The woman was checking out and only had a few items, but did not have enough money to cover her groceries. The cashier was very nice and tried to explain this to her, but the woman appeared to be confused. After a few times of trying to explain to her that she needed to put a few items back, I could see that the woman was not understanding.
I was hoping that the family in front of me would see this as a teachable moment in showing their teenage children kindness, but they all continued to stare at her. I have always been more sensitive to people’s emotions, and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I got the cashiers attention and handed her money to pay for the woman’s food.
After I checked out, I went up front to bag my groceries and she was standing there waiting to thank me. She thanked me and told me that she thought that she would have enough for her groceries and I could tell that she was upset. I hugged her and told her that I was happy to help and wished her a Merry Christmas.
We are always so busy with our own lives and what we have going on, it is hard to be aware of what is going on around us. Always show kindness to people around you whenever you can. Make someone feel welcome and like they are a part of things. Reach out to someone you know is going through a rough time and let them know that you are there for them. Smile at a stranger who looks like they are having a bad day. You never know what someone is going through and your smile or kind words could mean the world to them.