Let’s face it…fatigue has set in, expectations are low and emotions are high. It’s been a tough year and the light at the end of the tunnel is blurry at best. While working from home is supposed to be a perk, Americans are working more hours than before. While keeping our kids in either a hybrid or distance learning model, neither gives them the connections they really need. We are unable to see each other’s faces, something that is integral to social cues and feelings. What is the answer to fill these voids? There is no simple answer, but small spurts of a full heart might be a good start. This is where kindness comes in.
While at the grocery store a few days ago, I noticed I had been incorrectly charged on an item and went back to the cashier for a correction. She called me over after ringing up her current customer and asked the gentleman behind to wait while the mistake was fixed. I happened to notice that he had just one bag of potatoes to ring up and I fully expected him to get grumpy about having to wait. My expectations of the world have become so jaded that I thought a total stranger would react angrily without even knowing him. I was wrong. He graciously said, “Of course,” and even moved six feet away to give me the space Covid-19 now dictates. I was so taken back by his graciousness that I paid for his item, unbeknownst to him, and walked out of the store. The cashier seemed taken aback but indulged me anyway. I walked away with such a full heart for secretly thanking this man for restoring my faith in humanity. Well, maybe not my full faith…but a big enough dose to make my heart smile. It is the small things in life that build us up again.
Brighten up a stranger’s day, check up on someone with a text, buy flowers on days that are not just holidays, give compliments, write physical letters again, acts don’t need to be grandiose to be fulfilling. A nod to the small things….and to getting through these tough times with lighter hearts.
