Kindness

Kindness--

There are times when ideas and thoughts whirl around in my head.  One thought follows another in rapid succession with no time to put pen to paper and record them.  Lately that has been happening quite a bit.  I love it that the mind takes us to new places and drops us off leaving us to think in new ways.  Sometimes the ideas take me by surprise.

This past week we have been out of the country.  That in itself is an experience.  Going through customs, hoping you have done it all correctly, hoping you are legal with the items in your bag.  It is good to be outside the regular schedule and stretch the boundaries.  That has always had great appeal to me.  So, it was quite fun to read signs, try to follow directions, get to the designated place.  Thanks to the kindness of strangers, it was a perfect holiday.

As we walked down the streets in this new village,  many languages floated by our ears.  Often the speakers of those languages held maps just as we did.  They had selected places to visit and were trying to get to those marked spots.  I understood.   We were in that same boat.  Many had packages full of goodies they had purchased.  It was exciting to be in a new place sharing experiences with strangers.

On one early morning walk to purchase that cup of coffee, a woman walked up beside us.  It was probably around 8 AM.  It was quite chilly as we were in the mountains.  The sky was that deep shade of blue that makes you smile.  She matched her gait with ours, and we chatted as we walked.  She asked if we knew where the grocery store was.  We had driven by it the day before so we could give her directions.  She told us she was visiting from Hawaii, and that she was freezing.  What made that so funny was the way she was dressed.

Most people on holiday in the mountains wear tennis shoes or hiking boots, jeans, shirts and sweaters or sweat shirts.  She, on the other hand, had on tight golden, glittery pants and a lightweight black sleeveless top that also glittered in the sun. Her shoes were covered with sparkles.  I could see why she was cold.  She looked adorable.  Maybe she was welcoming the day following an all-night party.  I hope she found what she was looking for at the grocery store, and that she found warmer clothes.  She was only one of many people who spent a few minutes with us.  Strangers who connected for a moment in time.

And that made me think about human kindness.  It costs nothing to smile.  It takes no effort at all to offer assistance.  In fact, when we offer ourselves to strangers, we make a memory.  That new experience becomes part of who we are.  One morning in the coffee shop I was waiting for my latte.  The woman in front of me had three drinks and was trying to place them in a carrier.  I noticed she needed sleeves for the hot drinks.  Those sleeves were right in front of me.  I did the obvious thing.  She gave me a big smile and thank you.  I don't write that to speak well of myself but to remind us all that small things make the world such a pleasant place.  Is it possible that we miss the oppotunity to do a kindess simply because we don't see?  Absolutely that has happened to me many times.  My bad.

Time after time people extended themselves for us.  And because of that, we left with such a positive attitude about the place and the people.  In fact, we are already making plans to return.  Nature gave her all to this spot on the earth.  Add in the lovely people, and you have the perfect package.

Travel forces us to see the world through different eyes.  It is possible that we fear doing the new.  Yes, the unknown can be frightening.  But, my how it grows us when we take the chance to walk outside our own boundaries.  We don't have to leave this country for that to happen.  Simply placing ourselves in a new environment in our homeland can give us the same sense of adventure.

Kindness--something we are all able to give.  Like everything else in life, it is a choice.  We can decide to give that gift every single day.  Or we can withhold it.  Not always easy when we are in a funk but well worth the effort.

Think I will spend a little time reflecting--reflecting about our world, people and how kindness has such a huge impact on us.  Want to join me?