Saturday, October 12, 2013

Something Surprising About Kindness

"There is no surprise more magical that the surprise of being loved:  It is God's finger on man's shoulder."
― Charles Morgan
 
There seems to be something surprising about kindness.

The other day, I saw a woman at the grocery store look surprised when someone bent down to help her pick up grocery items she had dropped.  I have seen people be surprised that someone says hello, that someone holds the door for them...  I have been surprised by friends' thoughtfulness and generosity.

At the bank earlier this week, I complimented one of the tellers on her Pandora bracelet.  "A customer gave it to me," she said.  Wow, I said, nice gift.  She explained that the customer gave a bracelet with two charms to each of the tellers last Christmas.  Clearly still surprised more than nine months later, the teller said about the customer, "She doesn't even come in here all that often."  The teller went on to tell me -- twice -- that one of her colleagues had been eyeing the bracelet, and planning to buy it for herself, so she was thrilled with the gift.  A lovely gesture that not everyone can afford to do, but very kind if you can.  And surprising.

But whether kindness is extravagant or very simple, why does it surprise us so much?  I'm not sure, but I'm in favor of our continuing to look for opportunities to surprise each other with kindness.

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