I have been feeling sad
and stressed lately. Often when that is
the case, if I stop and examine things, I realize that I have taken my focus off
kindness. If I can re-focus – put kindness front and center again – the hustle bustle
of the world slows down, and life seems more manageable.
And that is what happened
today.
My sweetheart and I had a
day FULL of plans – in fact we had so many events we wanted to attend today
that before bed last night we had to eliminate one thing off our list. We planned to wake up early, drive an hour to
an event we both really wanted to go to, drive back and attend ANOTHER event we
both were happy to go to, then go to a 3rd event… In one day…
And I wonder where the stress was coming from…
Anyway, it was not to
be. The alarm went off this morning and I
said, “One more snooze…” several times until we just gave up and admitted we
would rather sleep.
Fast forward to 12:30 pm
when I finally woke up. Oops. First planned event down the drain…
After a very nice
breakfast we headed to the annual Flower Mart at the Washington DC National Cathedral. We went last year for the first time and
really liked it – there are booths of art work, clothing, food, and plants set
up all around the green lawn of the Cathedral, and also singing and dancing for
entertainment. Moseying around the event
is a nice way to spend a springtime day.
I was looking for a
birthday gift for my sister (shhh, I got one!).
I also found a great t-shirt with a message that I need: the front says, “don’t wait” and the back
says, “There is no right time. Make it
happen”. I think those are great mottos
to live by, don’t you?
 |
| don't wait |
 |
| There is no right time. |
As I looked around one
booth I heard the shop owner talking to a girl, trying to help her decide which
of two small hand painted bowls she should get.
The girl loved them both, and was finding it impossible to choose. “Just pick
one. Get it. Take it home, you will love it. And after a while you will not even remember the other one”, said the shop
keeper. It wasn’t an attempt at pushing
a sale, it was trying to teach a life lesson to a teenager. The girl hemmed and hawed, then explained
that she was trying to be more conscious in how she spent her money. Respect, girl, respect! I was impressed. The woman at the stall asked when her
birthday was, and she said, “Next week!”.
“Ahh, this would make a good birthday gift for yourself!”.
After much deliberation,
the girl walked away. I asked the shop
keeper which bowl she had chosen, and she told me she had NOT. The girl left without getting a bowl, but it
was the green one that she really wanted.
I looked at it – it was beautiful.
“Wait a minute!” I hollered to the girl and the woman I presumed was her
mother as they walked away. I handed the
green bowl to the woman working and asked her to ring it up. “I would like to get this for you for your birthday,”
I told the young girl. She stared at
me. “What??? Oh, no…
You don’t have to do that…”. “I
know I don’t have to, and that is
exactly what I want to,” I told
her. “I think you deserve this for your
birthday.” The woman with her was stunned. She teared up. She was not sure what to think. Then the young girl introduced herself to me
and gave me a big hug. “Wait a minute!”,
her adult friend said, “You don’t KNOW this woman???”. We chuckled and explained that no, we had
never met. This made the older woman
cry. “This is my neighbor,” she said. “She is turning 17 next week. She and I have come to this market together
for years. We have never had anything
like this happen to us! We will pay it
forward!! I promise, we will pay it
forward!”.
The shop keeper smiled and
finished the transaction. She wrapped
the delicate little bowl in a brown bag and handed it to me. I presented it to the stranger – the birthday
girl. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY.”
And just like that – my focus
shifted. My heart opened. My breathing was slower and deeper. The grass looked even more vibrantly green
and the world seemed more manageable.
A little kindness goes a
long way (both for the receiver and the giver).
Open your heart to kindness today.
Don’t wait.
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