― Washington Irving
A good friend
of mine was having a really bad day this past Monday. She is a teacher and was hoping to enjoy this
last week of summer vacation before reporting back to school next week. But she was called to jury duty. The judge told the potential jurors that if
they were selected, they would have to serve for four days. My friend's young son would be having oral surgery
later in the week, and she just could not imagine not being there with him.
In a pretty
bad mood, she went outside during the lunch break and sat at a table, hoping
the fresh air would help. All of a
sudden, she heard her name and saw a woman with whom she had recently been on
retreat coming to say hello.
"She
really brightened my day," my friend said. "It was just her. It was like a comfort. Maybe she was God sent. She just made me feel good."
They talked
for a few minutes about what was going on in their respective lives, which also
made my friend realize that her problems were not as serious as she
thought. My friend said that the
encounter with this other woman made her appreciate what she has, and that
feeling of gratitude lifted her spirits.
When my
friend shared the story with me, I couldn't help but smile. I know the woman she ran into, not well, but
when I think of her, the word that comes to my mind is luminosity. This woman seems to have that quality that
George Saunders talks about. Her soul is
bright and shining, and because it is, she not only lights up the room, but
also lifts our spirits.
How amazing
it is that when we reach that place of kindness in our hearts, we can truly
make others feel better with just our smile and our presence.
No comments:
Post a Comment