I saw something on the news the other day…if you google it you’ll no doubt find the story I’m talking about…but a police officer was in a McDonalds and is caught on their security cameras buying a cookie for a little boy who didn’t have enough money to get it himself. Moments later, as he left the McDonalds, the officer was gunned down in a random act of violence that ended his life. The little boy was interviewed, and it was obvious from the few seconds of conversation the two shared, and that seemingly small act of buying him a cookie, that he had been touched deeply by the encounter.
It reminded me of something from my childhood that has always stuck out for me. I was young, maybe 8 or 9, and had saved for what seemed an eternity for some toy that I wanted. What the toy was is lost to history, though it runs in my mind that it was some sort of race track for Hot Wheels. When I finally had the money to buy it, mom (in her not so crazy days) drove me to the store and waited outside with my toddler sister while I ran in to buy it.
Only, I had forgotten to calculate in the sales tax. I was 50 cents short of being able to get whatever the toy was. I remember being more embarassed than disappointed as I told the clerk that I would have to wait until I got my next allowance. Then she reached into the pocket of her smock and took out the two quarters I needed, and with a wink said “No you don’t honey.” Even at that young age, I found that small act of kindness even more remarkable than finally getting my toy.
It’s been said so often that it’s cliche, but the random acts of kindness really can make a difference. Don’t forget to practice them.
Beautiful! It’s the little things in life that often make the biggest impact.
I got sick on a school trip once. The bus wasn’t very full so the teacher cleared kids from the back of the bus and laid his coat out on the floor and had me lay down until we got home. He stayed in a seat by me. He did it with such style, like demonstrating how any decent person would care for another person, that it took away all embarassment and not a single kid thought to tease. It was an act of kindness I will always remember. He wasn’t actually my teacher for any classes but I remember him more than most of them I saw every day.
Good idea to keep in mind, not only always, but especially in these economic times which will get worse.