Kindness

41 this morning, overcast but giving way to sun in the afternoon.

We had another day on the road; it seems to be the theme of this week. I do not like going out every day but sometimes it can't be helped. I am happiest when I can stay home a week at a time.

But this week that is just not possible, and I have to admit I have enjoyed being out and about. Today was pickup day from a guy we buy from regularly---all kinds of cool stuff for our booths. We did some picking in thrifts too.

While in one thrift store I spoke to a lady about some books that were for sale, and after a few minutes' pleasant conversation, she handed me a gift card for Dairy Queen. "I can't use it," she said, "because I can't eat that kind of food anymore." I was so surprised I didn't ask why she couldn't eat DQ food, but I did thank her several times. So we had free lunch due to the kindness of a stranger, and there is still enough on the card for another meal. What a nice lady.

Later, at a different thrift, a little boy was fussing because he wanted 2 beanie babies. The lady behind me told the clerk, "Take off the price tags and add them to my stuff." The boy's mother was so surprised. "He doesn't need them," she said. "Aw, let him have them. It will make me happy." One happy little boy and quite a few smiling customers left the store.

On the way home, a FedEx driver flagged us down. "The road is blocked by a truck that's broken down." Our road is only one lane wide, which meant we would have to go the longer way around. "Do you have packages for anyone on the ridge?" I asked. He did have one for our neighbor, which we offered to deliver, saving the driver a good long drive.

The broken down truck turned out to be a neighbor hauling a load of gravel in his dump truck. His brothers, sister, and several neighbors turned out to help before Larry got there, and between trucks and tractors they managed to get the dump truck home.

Kindness. It can be big or small, but doesn't it make a difference to our days?

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.