Lessons Learned: A Little Bit of Kindness Goes a Long Way

The other day there was a youngish woman in line purchasing necessities...toothpaste, toilet paper, bars of soap, etc....no frivolous items and no toys.

As this woman prepared to pay, she pulled out a bag of coins to pay the $15.85 bill. The person in line behind her (it does not matter who she was) offered in a gentle way to pay for the purchases for that youngish woman. She looked a little flustered and the person offering to pay for her items told her she could now save the coins for something else. And she gladly accepted the offer.

And she thanked the person who paid as she turned to leave.

Who knows what a long lasting impact if any that will have on her and her family but it was done in kindness and was received well.

The person who paid for those purchases is not a person of great financial means...that person however has had to count coins to pay for purchases and knows how hard it is when that becomes necessary.

A little kindness goes a long way.

Since first writing this, I believe even more than ever that reaching out to others with a smile, a kind word, a helping hand can make a day that might have gotten off to a bad start be turned around.

That smile, that kind word, that helping hand can cause others to extend the same kind of encouragement to someone else. It can have a ripple effect and can bring joy into a community...just by such a simple gesture.

Smile more, acknowledge others more...you will be glad you did.

It costs nothing to bring some joy to the life of another.

A wise person has said... we human beings are on the planet to help others. We are here to be of service to others.

Many passages have been written in an effort to explain why we are here. Each of us has our own explanation. No one explanation is the correct and true one for all. There is some truth in the way each of us explains this walk.

As for me, I believe that we are here to help make this walk easier for others. Take what blessings we have and share them. And if we have only sparse material possessions, then give of our time and energy to help others. In some way, each day do something to make the day better for someone else.

Reach out to lift up others enlarges the lives of others and a wonderful thing happens. It enlarges ours as well.

A little bit of kindness can make the difference in the lives of many...as it is paid forward throughout the day.

Some say it exclusively is to be of service to God. To carry out his message and share the good news. Still others find no connection to their walk here on the planet and God. As for me, I do feel connected but stop short of condemning those who do not.

For me, believing that I am here to help and to be of service to others is a way for me personally to answer that age old question: Why am I here?

A place of self discovery for me is among the lovely plants in my yard and among the beautiful plants and trees in my town or in nature wherever I may find myself.

This is a personal revelation for me. For many years I have questioned and sought to discover an answer. Ideas came to mind. They were dismissed. Nothing seemed to satisfactorily embody an answer that made sense to me.

There were times throughout this journey that I wondered if I would ever know.

Turning inward, I looked deep into my thoughts and reminisced about those who had gone before me. Those that left indelible footprints on the planet while they were here. I studied over their lives. I looked at those characteristics about their lives that made them unique in comparison to others.

The one set of characteristics that was found in each of them was their desire to help others. In doing so they were in fact of service to those who needed it.

These were not pious, holier than thou individuals. These were just every day folks who cared enough to be of support and help to someone who needed it. They asked nothing and expected nothing in return.

Those who made this short list were what I term selfless .

• Every opportunity they had to do something for someone else that arose, they were there ready to assist.
• Because it was the right thing to do.
• The right thing for them to do. Maybe not for everyone but for their lives it was the choice to make.
• Because this is why they were on this planet.

When I think back on the history of our country, this same kind of giving has occurred over and over. For strangers and friends, giving of possessions and of time and energy has been repeated many times over.Many times these acts occur after some disaster.Early in our history, neighbors came together to help each other with big projects such as a barn raising.

• In 1992 after hurricane Andrew which devastated South Florida, Neighbors 4 Neighbors, a nonprofit organization was formed. It was and is designed to put those in need with those who can help.

• We watched in horror as the whole nightmare of Katrina unfolded before our eyes. And, hope emerged as the outpouring of giving of time, money, and energy went to those in need.

• Here in north Florida we watched as truck after truck after truck from our electric companies headed to the areas to help. People from all walks of life packed up and headed out to help.

• When 9/11 tore lives apart in a matter of minutes, again people from every walk of life packed up and headed out to help. They stayed until they could stay no longer. They helped in any way possible. This spoke volumes about how our country can pull together.

Selfless giving. Expecting and wanting nothing in return. Just to give some measure of comfort to another seems to take away the powerless feeling we have when a disaster strikes. It speaks to the strength of human character. Not only for those giving but for those who endure. It takes unimaginable strength and courage to pick up and go on in the wake of catastrophic occurrences

Our forefathers operated on this premise too. One way they did this was to hold barn raising. Barn raisings were good for the whole community and helped to make the community prosper. They helped others and in turn it helped to ultimately make their lives better in many ways. They would buy, sell, and trade with each other. Often this bond of helping went back through many generations.

We could say that Habitat for Humanity uses the same premise for their model.

Helping others. In that case, helping others to help themselves. A community of volunteers working to help erect a home for someone who deserves and needs it. The recipient joins in to make this happen.http://www.habitat.org/how/factsheet.aspx

Scores of other organizations exist to be of service others. Soup kitchens, shelters, and food banks are a few of those.

There is a layer of ongoing giving and helping and serving that exists each day. It is neighbor helping neighbor. It is stranger helping stranger. A kind word, a smile, a polite gesture such as opening a door for someone adds is a way to give.

As for me, knowing that my walk helps make someone else’s walk easier gives me a measure of peace. It is a private, quiet joy that I feel. What I do for others is done without fanfare and without the knowledge of others.

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