Kindness Costs Nothing
A friendly Tuesday reminder that as we start to branch back out to a sense of normalcy, to not forget kindness.
I feel like the world is so divided right now…you’re either Team A or Team B and everyone is so defensively passionate about what they believe, that common decency to our neighbors has become almost irrelevant.
Last week I had to go to a shipping depot to mail out a package. I walked into the lobby where 5 people stood in line before me, one of whom at the front was a young Mama with a baby on her hip. She had asked the attendant to borrow the packing tape as she needed to finish wrapping up her package and affixing the mailing label to it. From the back of the line I watched her struggle to do this while balancing her baby and after a few moments I stepped out of line and asked if I could help.
She looked at me with relief as I finished wrapping up her package, attached the label and talked to her baby to distract her from the horrible sound the tape gun made as I used it. She thanked me multiple times, finished her transaction and I returned to the end of the line.
No one in front of me stepped out of line to help her. We’ve been so conditioned the last two years to avoid everyone, to mind our own business and stay 6 feet away. This didn’t even cross my mind as I made my way to her. Maybe it’s because I’m a Mama myself and those memories of the early days when I struggled to balance life and two babies at the same time came flooding back. Maybe it’s just because it’s in my nature to help.
Or maybe…just maybe…I’m just a decent human being.
I did not know this woman and I’ll likely never see her again, and by no means does she “owe” me for helping her. But in this world of resentment and bitterness, just remember that kindness costs nothing, but can mean everything to someone.
I feel like the world is so divided right now…you’re either Team A or Team B and everyone is so defensively passionate about what they believe, that common decency to our neighbors has become almost irrelevant.
Last week I had to go to a shipping depot to mail out a package. I walked into the lobby where 5 people stood in line before me, one of whom at the front was a young Mama with a baby on her hip. She had asked the attendant to borrow the packing tape as she needed to finish wrapping up her package and affixing the mailing label to it. From the back of the line I watched her struggle to do this while balancing her baby and after a few moments I stepped out of line and asked if I could help.
She looked at me with relief as I finished wrapping up her package, attached the label and talked to her baby to distract her from the horrible sound the tape gun made as I used it. She thanked me multiple times, finished her transaction and I returned to the end of the line.
No one in front of me stepped out of line to help her. We’ve been so conditioned the last two years to avoid everyone, to mind our own business and stay 6 feet away. This didn’t even cross my mind as I made my way to her. Maybe it’s because I’m a Mama myself and those memories of the early days when I struggled to balance life and two babies at the same time came flooding back. Maybe it’s just because it’s in my nature to help.
Or maybe…just maybe…I’m just a decent human being.
I did not know this woman and I’ll likely never see her again, and by no means does she “owe” me for helping her. But in this world of resentment and bitterness, just remember that kindness costs nothing, but can mean everything to someone.