Gestures of Kindness

As a writer, I have a natural and often insatiable curiosity about people.

What motivates others to act the way they do? Say the things they do? I'm also intrigued by how other people see the world and each other.

Many years ago, I read a newspaper article that featured a homeless man. When asked what was the worst thing about living on the street, he didn’t answer what many of us would think the obvious - the cold - the hunger - the danger.

Nothing even close.

He said something along the lines of,  

“When people see me, they no longer see a human being. When folks toss money into my can, they never look me in the eye. I’m no longer worthy of a smile.”

Such a tiny gesture of kindness. A smile. A friendly, “Hello.” To be given the common courtesy of being looked in the eye. Treated like a fellow human being.

That stuck with me. The need to matter – to count as important. How hard is it look someone in the
eye?

I changed the way I treated those with their hands outstretched. I stopped judging and starting smiling. It made me look for the good in people.

All people.

I'm not perfect, nor do I ever aim to be, and I'm certainly not 100% at finding the good in people. Trust me, it can be a challenge. Sometimes I'm too cranky or self-involved with my own life to be the kind of person I want to be.

But, I'm trying. I'm still a work in progress, as we all are, really.

Has there been a moment, an event, in your life that made you change your viewpoint? 

I'd love to hear about it.

A Stroll Down Karma Street

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I think Karma is one of the greatest inventions. 

 

What you put out there, comes back to you - the good, the bad, and always the ugly.

A few weeks ago, my mom and I were sitting in my living room, sipping our coffee, catching up. She reminded me of a question I asked her, back when I was still in college. Back when we still thought of spanks as something children avoided, not something you wore under a cocktail dress.

I had been watching her mail a letter of complaint to some company who had not delivered the high quality service they’d guaranteed. She was quite the expert in giving, “constructive criticism.” Mom was never rude. She was polite, yet firm, believing the only way a company could improve was through customer feedback.

“Mom,” I said that day, “Do you send as many thank you letters for great service as you do for bad service?”

My question made her stop and consider her actions and from that day on, she became a champion of the Good News Letter.

The End.

(Ah, not quite.)



Although that would’ve been a tidy little story, I worried you may have left thinking, "Is that all? Isn't there more?" 

 

www.getinvolved.ca

Why, yes! Yes there is!

Pretty soon this blog is going to take a stroll down Karma Street. Big time.

Earlier in the year, Mom was rushed to the hospital by ambulance (yes, she is fine) and this particularly caring paramedic took especially good care of her. To show her appreciation and to tell him how this extra attention relieved her fears, Mom wrote him a thank you note. She said it took her about 10 minutes to put her gratitude into words. 10 minutes. That's 600 seconds.

Many months later, she was at her favourite breakfast spot, The Garwood Grill, and the server told her a remarkable tale.

“My friend is a paramedic,” the server said, “ and he's had this thank you card posted on his fridge for ages. It's tattered around the edges. He said getting it was the proudest moment of his entire career.”

And can you guess who sent that letter? Right again. My mom.

Now, that is Karma.

It’s those little comments. A simple thank you note.

Small acts of kindness can make all the difference.

They can have real impact.

They can change lives.

Go for it.



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