When is the last time someone surprised you by doing something nice for you?  You didn’t ask for it, they just did it.  Maybe your child took out the trash without being prompted or someone at the grocery store let you go in front of them in line because you only had a couple of things.  Or the big ugly truck let you “cut-in” a line of traffic?  Did it make you feel like there was still human kindness in this world, or did you even give it another thought?

Some days I really do think our world is going to hell and fast.  It can be such a hurry up place, no one has patience, and FORGET customer service.  People honk at each other, make rude gestures, cut you off in traffic, run red lights  and say things that they would never put on their resume.  How did it come to this?  Is this how your parents taught you to treat other people?  Would you be proud to know your child acts like this when you are not around?  Is it too late to stop the madness?

I was putting my shopping cart away in the parking lot of the grocery store a while back, when I noticed an elderly gentlemen finishing up putting his groceries in his car.  I just wheeled my cart over and said, “Here, I’ll get that for you.”  I’ve done this a million times for folks, no big deal. (plus loose carts are my pet peeve!)  But on this day, the man put his hand on the front of his cart, while I had my hand on the end of his cart and he said, “Why would you want to do something nice for me?” Well, what do you say to that unexpected question?!  I looked him in the eye and said, “Because people should be nice to people and maybe you will pass it on to someone else.” (yep~ I was winging it ~ and with  impromptu, I still need a backspace button and sometimes a “delete”) He went on to tell me how this was the second time that day someone had done something good for him and he felt so blessed.  I stepped to the side of the basket and said, “I have something I’d like to give you.”  I slipped two blue bracelets off of my wrist and handed them to him.  “One of these is for you”, I explained, “and  the other is for you to share.  They say LIFE IS SHORT, PEACE IS SWEET.”  I went on to tell him, “This was the favorite saying of my brother-in-law, Eldon, who was taken from us too soon.  I wear these to share with random people and to always remember him.”  He stepped in, took the bracelets and slipped them onto his wrist.  “This will be given away by the end of the day,” he said, then paused a bit ~  “And you know you will see him again one day, don’t you?” he went on , “so don’t be sad, your brother-in-law is in the best place ever, and he’s in good company.”  I thanked him for his kind words, went to the car with tears in my eyes, and I thanked God for His still small voice.  I was the one who was blessed in all of this.  And I could have missed the moment, had I not listened.

I believe there is still hope for people. It must start with me. It must start with you. We can lead by example.  We just need to slow down long enough to stop and listen to our heart…..and then follow it ♥  Pay it forward people ~I’m sure going to try. ♥

(Mary Blaxton, I love you ~ and I did not “blog” you! 😉 )