On a Southwest flight from Denver to Columbus, Ohio, I found myself seated next to an older gentleman.  As the first flight attendant came down the aisle to collect drink orders, the man took a Starbucks gift card out of his pocket and thanked the attendant for taking care of us.  He handed one to the attendant who brought our snacks and another to the one who collected our garbage.  As his neighbor, I got to witness each face light up with surprise and appreciation.  I commented on the thoughtful gesture and he replied that he had spent his life in the service industry and knew how much it meant to be noticed and appreciated.

 

Earlier in the week, I attended a Sunday School class where a man told a story from his childhood.  Growing up in a large city, he was the child of a single mom who often worked Saturdays and looked for opportunities for her son to stay busy.  He recalled her signing him up for art lessons at a local museum.  Each Saturday morning she would give him the fare to ride to the museum and back, including a small amount to purchase a little treat.  One Saturday, as he picked his treat, he gave into his desire for the large candy bar which was delightful until it was time to go home and he didn’t have enough money for the fare.  He recalled the panic that seized him, the tears that came to his eyes and the well dressed woman who stopped, listened to his story, cried with him and gave him the fare he needed to return home.  He ended by saying that the woman probably doesn’t remember him, but now fifty years later, he still prays for her in gratitude for her kindness.  

 

Kindness changes us.  It brings joy to those who give it,  wonder to those who receive it, and kindness becomes sacred to those who remember it with gratitude.