"An older couple came in and sat at one of my tables. The man had a bad leg. They were going to see a show. The woman asked me as kindly and modestly as possible if I wouldn’t mind not rushing them, even though she knew we were desperate to turn tables. I said no problem and spent an hour or so making it look like they were eating and drinking more than they were. They asked why I was working on Christmas Eve. I told them my mom did her own thing, as did my sister. They asked if I was married to which I jokingly told them in fact I had just been dumped a few hours previous. As I said it, tears welled up in my eyes. That feeling of being overtired, homesick, heart broken and frustrated by where I was standing at that very moment got me. I was holding three plates, smiled and excused myself. When the couple finally left, I was packing food for another table to take out. The woman came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, surprised, assuming I had forgotten something. She gave me an additional twenty dollars, and hugged me. Like, the kind of hug your grandma gives you She said, “everything will work out just fine for you. This will be a better year. I promise.”
You can read the full post here - this story was #4.
Reading this warmed my heart & brought a tear to my eye. I can relate to just how powerful little moments like this can be. Over this past week, I've had numerous little surprises happen to me that just touched me. I mean, little random acts of kindness are kind of always around but for some reason, lately my life has been filled with them. It honestly makes a world of difference. It just brightens your day, has the power to change your mood, and really renews your faith in humanity -- at least thats what it does for me.
Hearing from an old friend who just wanted to check in, being given the benefit of the doubt, being paid a compliment from someone who you thought didn't even think about you any more, knowing something you did was appreciated and made a difference. Even polite drivers in traffic! These are all things I've experienced this week and each one made me realize what huge impacts we can make on others with just the tiniest gesture or kind word.
With the commercialization and hustle & bustle of the holiday season, it is easy to get caught up in our own little world of impatiently rushing around, with only concern for ourself. The holiday season doesn't seem quite the same for me this time around but I still want to focus on not becoming an angry elf :)
We're supposed to be Merry, and spreading Cheer. There is a joy of the season that we should spread -- and should resolve to carry out into the New Year.
"Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly and most underrated agent of human change. Kindness that catches us by surprise brings out the best in our natures."
~Bob Kerry
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