Yesterday started out just like any other day of the week. I got all 4 children off to school, finished a few household chores and drank a cup of coffee while I did a little work in my office before heading off to the grocery store. I’m not as rushed these days shopping as I was when I had little ones in tow, but I am still on a schedule with my youngest’s half days of school. As I took my time pushing the cart up and down the aisles looking and thinking about what I needed (I forgot my list), an older man stopped me and politely asked for my help.
He couldn’t remember what to look for on laundry detergent (the HE logo) that meant it was safe for his newer style washing machine.
I pushed my cart forward a bit, smiled and then pointed out the logo on several different detergents so he could easily find what he was looking for. He smiled back and said thank you. I told him it was no problem and that sometimes with all of the options available today, it’s easy to get confused.
As I took a step further to continue shopping, the man again thanked me and told me his wife had passed away a few years earlier, but he knew how to do laundry and how to cook for himself because he did so during the war.
He told me he was in the National Guard and was a cook for 8 years throughout those years. That’s how learned to eat well. He loves salads and these days, eats a lot of fish. He boasted about a recent morning of fishing with a friend. They did really well, and caught a lot of perch.
He likes fish. So do I. One of the benefits of living right on the shoreline of Lake Erie, is good fishing. I have memories of my father taking me out on his boat fishing as a child.
He proceeded to tell me that when he went home to clean all of the fish a lot of them were female and had eggs. He took them out and instead of discarding them, gave them to an acquaintance who preferred the egg sacs themselves over the actual perch.
How funny I thought- it brought up a memory I have of my father breading and frying fish and fish eggs in our kitchen and my grandmother just loving the eggs. Those were her favorite. I felt a smile come across my face as this man brought to light an old childhood memory of mine.
After a little more small talk, I said goodbye and told the man to have a nice day. “You too,” he said, “and a better tomorrow!”
The 10 extra minutes I spent talking to someone who probably had no one else to talk, made my day.
I had to shop a little faster to get to my daughter’s school on time, but I did it. I did all I had to do while making time for a little kindness too.
Make time for kindness each day and treat others how you would like to be treated. Those few moments of kindness can mean so much to someone.
It will probably brighten up your day as well!
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