Kindness, A Priceless Gift

While visiting my friend who volunteers at the dog rescue, I noticed a lady with a walker who seemed to be shuffling around by herself. She was a bit disheveled and appeared to be seeking some kind of fulfillment from the animals.

As I sat on a bench, I could see her out of the corner of my eye standing all alone...so I looked over and asked her to join me. Her name was Barb and we “chit chatted” about how much we love dogs while we watched some of them play in one of the fields.  

We parted ways and then I saw her leaving and went to say GoodBye. She looked me in the eye and said: “Thank you for talking and hanging out with me.” I told her it was my pleasure and how much I enjoyed talking with her. 

I don’t know Barb’s story...but that look said so much.

As human beings, one of the core yearnings we have is to feel appreciated and believe that we matter. Words of praise and encouragement or simply an interest in knowing someone’s name are so powerful. 

When was the last time you looked your child, spouse, Mom, Dad, sibling, or friend in the eye and told them how awesome they are? 

Or maybe it’s the cashier at the grocery store or coffee house. Or it could be that person who looks lost and you never would think of talking to them but a simple “hello” or kind word would make their day. It sounds simple, but sometimes we need to hear that someone else cares that we are on this earth.

My challenge to you: For the next seven days, go out of your way to point out positive qualities to at least one person each day. Maybe it’s someone in your family, the customer service person who has an excellent attitude or the waiter that goes above and beyond to give outstanding service. 

How about the military person in uniform? Or the elderly man that is a veteran and when you thank him for serving our country his face lights up. The opportunities are endless.

Kindness is a priceless gift. If the saying “what goes around comes around” is true - and I believe it is - then you are in store for an amazing week!

What kindness did you spread this week? Share your story on Facebook or Instagram.