I never thought about random acts of kindness going a long way before, until the other day.
While I was waiting in line at the grocery store, I was behind an older man who looked down on his luck and was disabled. Suddenly I felt sad and wanted to do something nice to put a smile on his face.
All he had was a chocolate bar, so I interjected and told the cashier to put it on my bill instead. He was trying to decline modestly but I insisted and said I felt like doing a good deed.
He looked grateful, thanked me and went on his way. The real reward was the way I felt when he left the store. It felt like my heart grew three times, I was smiling from ear to ear and I got warm fuzzies inside. I think this was a feeling that could only come from giving.
When I got home the gesture made me think about things people could do to help others. Volunteering at a soup kitchen, food bank, animal shelter, nursing home, hospital, the list is endless.
The gift of giving doesn’t stop at gratitude because you can actually feel happier by making someone else happy. It’s not necessarily by material things either, little things such as compliments can also do wonders.
Doing nice things for people doesn’t happen very often these days, especially when it doesn’t come from the heart.
Which reminds me of a song by the singer Jewel called “Hands”. The lyric goes “in the end, only kindness matters,” and boy was she ever right with that line.
Kindness does matter. If someone is not as fortunate as you are, lifting up their spirits can really make a difference. Paying it forward, even if it’s something small but sweet is more important than you know.
