Random (?) acts of kindness

Just today I received an email titled “The cab ride”. It’s one of those sentimental emails about a kindly cab driver and an old woman, most likely taken from the pages of “Chicken Soup for the soul.”
I know some people find those stories trite and doubt their veracity. I don’t.
In my “map of the world” (as my counselor used to call it) there is an entire army of philanthropists, just looking for someone to bless.
I think there is an entire brigade of people with stories, like I have, having touching (little) moments every day. Reading this email inspired me to offer one of my own stories, in hopes that people close to me will tell their stories too.
Several years ago, my husband was in the hospital. He wasn’t eating well, so I went to one of the local ice-cream shops to get him a shake.
When I walked in, there was an older woman (I think in her 70’s) ahead of me.
The (very young) lady behind the counter went to dip the woman some ice-cream (in a to-go cup). As she popped open the ice-cream freezer she asked me “What did you want?” I drew a breath, and said “I need a coconut shake, and I want to pay for this woman’s ice-cream.”
The young lady didn’t bat an eye, really, she just smiled and said “yes ma’am”, as she was scooping cool mounds into a small to go cup. The older woman swiveled around so fast, I thought she was going to slap me.
She said “You want to pay for my ice-cream?” I flinched a bit and shrugged my right shoulder and said “Yes ma’am. If you’ll allow me, I need to do a good deed today.” She was stopped for a long moment and looked into my eyes. Her eyes started to dew-up, and I didn’t look away. She said “Do you know what I’m doing?” “No ma’am, I don’t.”, I responded.
The well-dressed woman said “I’m taking ice-cream to my husband. He’s got cancer and the chemotherapy. He can’t swallow much because his throat is so sore from the treatments, so I buy him ice-cream.” The worker handed the woman her ice-cream. I said “I hope he feels better soon.”
The woman took her bag, wiped at an eye and left.
She didn’t say thank you. I wasn’t looking for one.
Looking back all this time later, I think I might have a sense of perspective.
It’s not that the older woman couldn’t carry the burden of her sick husband.
It wasn’t (probably) that she couldn’t pay for the ice-cream.
I think, it’s that someone offered her a kindness, and for an instant, it lightened her burden. For a split-second, she lived in a world tinted with compassion and smelling of whipped cream.
I think there a great many people offering acts of kindness to strangers.
I don’t for a moment believe these acts to be random.

Until next time: Eat something wonderful
And live a life worth loving.


-Kim