....to wake up this morning and have a day sprinkled with such good thoughts and feelings....
First my day started out talking to my cousin Aaron, who I love. He's not perfect, and some might even find him difficult to love, but he's like a brother to me. We talked my whole way to work, venting to one another about frustrations, laughing about other things, just catching up on each other's lives and I thought to myself...."that was a nice call to get today" so happy I picked up even in the middle of my rushed frenzy to get ready for work....and by the time I hung up with him, got out of my car to go into my building to work, I was feeling pretty lucky to have had the call, and to have him in my life.
Then....at lunch time, I tried to cash a check at my bank. Only to find out they didn't have enough money.....(this was my insurance check from the bank to cover my flood claim) mind you, it's not a small check, but it's not a big check either. I could see if it were for $10,000 or something, I ended up checking with 3 different banks and none of them had enough to cash my check. Can you believe that?! I was starting to feel less lucky....and more grumpy as I trudged around in the rain, spending my entire lunch break trying to cash a stupid check....when I finally got sent to the Allentown branch....but I had to go inside, they couldn't cash that big of a check through the drive through....*sighs*....We can jump out of Airplanes for fun in this Country, but we can't cash a check of size through a drive through....
When I arrived, and got out of my car, a little lady, probably maybe in her 40's was coming out and man she did not want to step out from under the building's awning and get all wet and cold, so I said to her "Hi, where ya headed?"
She said "I don't know yet"....
Me: "No, i mean where are you parked? I'll take you there and share my umbrella with ya."
Her: "Oh, *big smile*...I'm right over there, the red SUV"
So I walked with her and kept her dry....after all, I wasted my whole lunch hour, what was another 5 minutes to help her out right?
She was so happy! She said as we walked: "You know, I think my luck is changing...."
Me: ""Oh, why's that?"
Her: "Well first, I needed a notary, and the lady in the bank did it for me free of charge! And now, I come outside in the pouring down rain, and a total stranger shares her umbrella and walks me to my car...It's just so nice....I was having a bad day, and now it's like it's turning around!"
And I think I puffed my chest out a little bit, Like well would you look at that.....my rainy crappy, can't cash a check day...and I made a lady feel like her day was really turning around. Made that grumpy feeling wash right outta me and down the drain in the parking lot with the rain water. I actually saw what optimism and thankfulness look like when they spread across a human face. How cool is that? She, a complete stranger I'll never see again, was thankful for me!
Isn't that something?
Isn't that something?
The more I do it, the more I live it, the more I find that the best gift you can give, is a smile, a helping hand.....and your time to someone else, free of charge. Little acts of kindness are a gift to receiver AND the giver.
So thank you lady who I helped today, your appreciation turned my day around too!
Smiling even in the Rain,
~HeatherLynn~
very sweet! All to often we get so wrapped up in our own frustrations that we forget that we are not alone on this planet. We forget how easy it is to take 5 minutes out of our day to help someone else and how a very simple gesture can make someone else's whole day! Way to slow down and be that person Heather! This story not only uplifted me but convicted me a little. :) The world would be a very different place if we all had that attitude and acted on it.
ReplyDeleteCharity - *laughs*, boy I'd tell ya, you'd think I was pms'in or something cuz your kind words have me all teared up....I must be emotional today or something! but thank you thank you for your very kind words, I can't tell you how honored I am that you would take the time just to write A comment, let alone THIS particular comment.
DeleteI read somewhere that if each person, put something good out into the world, there would be such an influx of good, that it could literally change the world. I don't know if it's true, but I sure do like the idea. :)
People have been kind to me....I want to be kind to others. As much and as often as I can.
Thank you Charity,
I'm so happy that my little accidental encounter made your day a little uplifted, and CONVICTED. That's a real nice combination.
~hl~