Ever cry over a can of soup?
I have. Just this afternoon.
I’ve been really busy lately – work, Kindness Activist stuff,
life… You know, it all adds up. You get it – you are busy, too.
But TWICE today I was reminded of the amazing kindness
that is in this world. Both were
reminders I needed. And I figured, if I needed
the reminder, well, you might, too.
The pantry storage shelves in our basement are getting
low. Like, our food stock is the lowest
it has been in a long time. It’s always
a bit worrisome to see that. But here’s
the thing – I don’t like to keep asking for donations. I feel like I am a pest sometimes.
And also – the WORLD. I mean, at least our little corner of the
country is imploding… 2 friends lost
their jobs today. 2. And they are 2 of thousands.
With so much uncertainty in the world, it is hard to ask
for help for the pantry. People have
their own families to feed – asking them to help make sure strangers don’t go
hungry feels above and beyond.
So I have been stressing.
Each time another category of food runs low, when I see the shelves getting
bare… It is stressful.
Today I put out the 2nd to the last bag of
beans.
The lone bag of black beans sat in the bin, waiting its
turn.
I hate that feeling.
Like, people rely on the pantry for some of their food, and beans
are a staple. But it was reality.
I was going about my day, getting lots done
actually. A car pulled over and a person
got out and walked toward the pantry. I knew
they were a pantry guest, so I was glad they arrived at just the right time
when it was full.
Only this time they weren’t coming to get, they were
coming to GIVE.
“Oh, are you donating?” I asked.
“Yes… Yes. It is not much, but…” they replied.
I put out my hands and accepted their offer.
It was, as you may have guessed already, a bag of
beans. It was 2 cans of vegetables and a
bag of beans. My heart melted.
“No! No, this is perfect!” I told
them. “We only have one bag of beans
left, so we really needed these.”
They smiled and went on their way. I am so thankful for them. And glad that they were able to feel the joy
and pride of being able to help and give back.
I felt better. The
sun was shining. I was working
outdoors. I could breathe in the fresh
air.
But that wouldn’t be the last reminder of kindness I got
today. A couple of hours later a message
popped in. It said simply, “Is there
anything you are low on for the pantry?”.
I had a choice.
Be brave and ask, or quietly say thank you for reaching
out.
I asked.
I said, Oh my goodness we are low on so much right now. I
need to do a big ask, but David and I are taking a quick vacation soon, and I
don't want the pantry crew overwhelmed with having to carry heavy boxes and
sort. But really, anything on this list
before the next few days would be so appreciated. We haven't been this low in a
looooong time. We are low on: dried beans of any kind (have one bag left),
soup of any kind except cooking soups (so not like cream of mushroom), canned
fruit of any kind, canned veg of any kind except green beans. We are low on all of that. THANK YOU for
asking.”
And I continued on my day.
Two and a half hours later, another message from her
popped in.
“I will be dropping off a big load of what you need in
about 20 min. I am sure it won’t fit in the donation bin 😊
“.
I was speechless.
I thought maybe she would bring over a couple bags of beans
and a can of peaches. But no.
This kind neighbor went to the store and purchased: 10 bags of dry beans, 62 cans of soup, fruit, and vegetables, and to top it
off, a bag of fresh manderines. It was
a wagonful!
I looked at the soup and teared up.
With all that is happening. All the anger and stress and confusion.
There is soup.
There is kindness.
There is community.
P.S. - just as I finished putting everything away on the storage shelves, a pantry guest walked by. I had one of the mandarins in my hand, on the way to put it in the pantry. Oh, did they get a big smile when I held out my hand and gave them the gift of fresh fruit.
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