The Kindness of Perfect Timing

"A warm smile is the universal language of kindness."
- William Arthur Ward

A very dear work colleague told me that she was going to send me a couple of extra handbags that she had gotten on a recent overseas trip.  The following week, as my family was getting ready to leave on vacation, one of my daughters asked me if I could get her a certain tote bag for the trip.  In the midst of a crazy day, I called a nearby store to see if they had the one my daughter wanted, but they didn't.  As we were walking out our front door on the way to the airport, a package arrived. I was about to just toss it inside as we were in a hurry, but I saw that it was from my colleague, so I opened it quickly.  Inside were two tote bags -- the same kind that my daughter had wanted!  My daughter was in shock and incredibly thrilled.  My colleague's thoughtfulness was sheer magic.

The Kindness of Vigilance

"Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate."
~ Albert Schweitzer

I was in a shopping center parking lot the other day waiting for a small bus to move so that I could continue searching for a spot. I noticed that the bus driver was yelling and gesturing to the car in front of him. As it turned out, the women in the car in front of the bus were about to drive off with a bag of what looked like food on the roof of their car.

Post-Accident Kindness

"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you."

~ Princess Diana

The other day, as I drove along a divided highway close to my home, a car ahead of me spun out of control, veered across three lanes and crashed against an opposite wall.  Miraculously, the car did not hit any other cars.  Once it stopped, the car blocked two of the three northbound lanes and the other vehicles slowly drove around it.  While one driver called the police, a driver in another car stopped, and went to the car that crashed to try and help the driver until the police and fire rescue arrived. 

The Kindness (and Inspiration) of Faith that Looks through Death

"What though the radiance which was once so bright

Be now forever taken from my sight,

Though nothing can bring back the hour

Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;

We will grieve not, rather find

Strength in what remains behind;

In the primal sympathy

Which having been must ever be;

In the soothing thoughts that spring

Out of human suffering;

In the faith that looks through death,

In years that bring the philosophic mind."

~ William Wordsworth

A dear friend of mine's mother died more than two years ago.  When my friend told me how long it had been, I couldn't believe it.  Her mother was an amazing and loving person.  I can still hear her voice and see the mischievous twinkle in her eye.

My friend shared that her mother used to say, "God always decides in my favor."  This was something her mother believed even as she was battling cancer.  My friend believes that her mother was right and she told me of the many blessings that had come about because of her mother's passing.  My friend deeply misses her mother, but she has faith -- the kind that looks through death.

The Kindness of Creating Fun

"I cannot imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy.  Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun."

~ Charles R. Swindoll

A couple of attorney friends of mine have taking the lead in organizing lunches for a group of us who worked at the same law firm or in the same building a couple of decades ago.  These two gentlemen send emails to check dates and organize our outings.  Recently, one of them even tracked down another friend to join us.  And one regularly picks up a member of our group who does not drive far distances.  We all look forward to our gatherings and have these two gentlemen to thank for making them happen.

Kindness from Mom

"Mothers are the necessity of invention."

~ Bill Watterson

When we were children and got sick, we could always count on Mom to take care of us and make sure we ate.  Well, what do you do when you are not only a grown up, but also a mother yourself and you get sick?  You are blessed that friends offer to bring anything you might need.  And you are also blessed when your mother shows up twice -- once to bring lunch and another time to bring dinner for you and your children.

Kindness and a Sign

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

~ Aesop

The other day, one of my dearest college friends sent me a photo of this quote by Aesop.  She was waiting for a bus in New York, saw the words on a sign in front of a temple, and thought of me.  Her thoughtful text arrived -- as these things somehow do -- at the perfect moment.  Kindness is never wasted.

The Kindness of Prayer Angels

"Friendship has always belonged to the core of my spiritual journey."

~ Henri Nouwen

I feel so blessed that I can reach out to my friends and ask for prayers.  My prayer angels are just a text away.  There are two, in particular, who are always on prayer duty.  Before I take a flight (yes, Nervous Nellie here), I text my prayer angels and ask for their prayers.  And there they are through cyberspace, not only praying for me, but also sending me thoughtful messages.

On another note about prayer, the other day at a business meeting, one of my colleagues passed around pieces of paper and asked each of us to write down something we would like others to pray for, for us.  We put all the pieces of paper in a bucket and then we each randomly selected one.  We then pray for someone else's intention for a week.  This practice was inspired by the Year of Mercy.

Kindness from the Airlines!

"Transparency, honesty, kindness, good stewardship, even humor, work in businesses at all times."

~ John Gerzema

For an upcoming flight, I had been assigned the dreaded middle seat.  When I arrived at the airport, I checked to see if I could change my seat, but there was nothing available.  I decided to try my luck at the gate.  I asked the gate attendant whether there was a better seat available, but she told me that the flight was full.  Then she said that if anything opened up, she would let me know.  As I walked away from the counter, I wondered how serious she was given that she had not kept my boarding pass.  I truly doubted that she had made a mental note of my name.  To my surprise, as the flight was boarding, she called my name and changed my seat to a window closer to the front.  I was delighted.

The Kindness of a Work Colleague

“A gift with a kind countenance is a double present.”

~ Thomas Fuller

One of my work colleagues recently traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia.  I was pleasantly surprised when she gave me a gift that she had gotten for me overseas.  It is a jasmine-scented candle in a beautiful decorative tin, which came inside a palm frond box.  It is nice to be remembered.

Kindness Memory

“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”

~ James M. Barrie

We have all heard about muscle memory.  Well, I think there is kindness memory, too.  I recently traveled to a mid-western city for a business meeting.  It is the third year in a row that I attend this meeting in the same city.  While there, I remembered my cab ride back to the airport two years before.  I was very flustered because I was trying to make it to the airport in time for a flight, so that I could get home before one of my children’s birthdays the next day.  I also was in a panic because I remembered that I had forgotten to order the cake at the restaurant where we would be celebrating, but since I was in a rush, I knew I did not have the time to negotiate things on the phone.  I called one of my dearest mom friends because I knew that she would call the restaurant and make sure that we had a cake.  In addition to agreeing to do that for me, my friend calmed me down and told me that if I missed my flight, there would be another the same evening.  I guess it’s no surprise that I keep a little gift tag she gave me more than a year ago tucked inside my agenda.  It reads, “The greatest gift we give each other is peace of mind.”

Kindness Along the Way

“Kindness and politeness are not overrated at all.  They’re underused.”

~ Tommy Lee Jones

On an airplane recently, I sat next to a gentleman who helped me with my luggage – twice.  I had a window seat and when I arrived at my row, he was already in the aisle seat.  He took my smaller carry-on and placed it under the seat in front of me before standing up so that I could get into the row.  After we landed, he stood up first and opened the overhead bin. He asked me if the bag there was mine and pulled it out for me.  Small things, but they sure make the journey easier.

The Kindness of a Doctor

"Kindness and a generous spirit go a long way.  And a sense of humor.  It's like medicine - very healing."

~ Max Irons

A woman I know had some routine blood work done, but worried about her results as some of us tend to do.  She was told that the results would be sent to the doctor in three or four days.  As the tests had been run on a Thursday, she figured she would not hear anything until the following week.  But at almost 7 pm on Friday night, her incredibly wonderful and compassionate doctor emailed her with the good news that all was well.  Obviously, the doctor could have started his weekend at 5 pm or earlier, but he didn't.  When this woman emailed the doctor thanking him, he replied, "just sharing kindness."

The Kindness of a Generous Heart

"We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths; in feelings, not in figures on a dial.  We should count time by heart throbs.  He most lives who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best."

~ Aristotle

A friend of mine lost his father recently.  Exactly a week after his father's funeral, this friend was attending the funeral of the father of another friend of ours.  I know it was not easy to live through such a similar experience so soon, but my friend has a very generous heart.

The Kindness of our Play Group

"This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more helpful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive."

~ Alice Waters

Two other mothers and I have a play group — even though our children are way past what one thinks of as play-group age.  Four of the children in our play group are teenagers, one is a pre-teen and two are well... 10.  But no matter, our play group meets most Friday evenings at our local pizzeria.  It's part book club, part prayer group, part group therapy ...  Hard to describe, but it is something that we three moms look forward to.  Our children are safe and entertained, they are fed, and we get to talk and talk and talk.  What could be better?

The Kindness of Thoughtful Souvenirs

"Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with the people the same happiness."

~ Khalil Gibran

My lovely friend just returned from a vacation in Europe.  From what she shared, it was more like a religious pilgrimage.  She visited a number of religious sites, including Lourdes in southern France.  And being the lovely friend that she is, she remembered her friends along the way.  Another mom and I were gifted with a number of beautiful items for ourselves and our families, including holy water from Lourdes, prayer cards and rosaries.  And for her Nervous Nellie friend, she brought back a prayer card of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers.

Kindness at the Grocery Store

"Those who are the happiest are those who do the most for others."

~ Booker T. Washington

A friend of mine was having a dinner party at her house and another friend of ours was cooking.  The cook realized that she had forgotten a key ingredient for one of the dishes she was making, so I ran to the grocery store to get it.  I found the item at the store and quickly made my way to the checkout lanes as I was eager to get back to the dinner party.  I thought about going in the Express Lane, but the line was too long.  I ended up in another cashier lane behind a woman who had a full cart.  All of a sudden, one of the grocery store employees motioned to me to go to a lane that was closed.  I thanked him and told him how much I appreciated his helping me.  I don't know that the lane remained open after me, but I was grateful to be on my way.

The Kindness of Advice

"All of us, at certain moments of our lives, need to take advice and to receive help from other people."

~ Alexis Carrel

Years ago, one of my best friends from high school, who got married and had children before I did, said something that sticks with me all these years later.  Talking about raising children, she said, "You create their memories."  I have thought about this often when trying to get something right and also at times that I am hoping my children will forget.  But the statement -- advice, really, in four words -- is always a good reminder.

Kindness and a Birthday Surprise

"Cakes are special.  Every birthday, every celebration ends with something sweet, a cake, and people remember.  It's all about the memories."

~ Buddy Valastro

One of my children celebrated her birthday while we were out of town.  About a week later, we met another family, including my daughter's long-time best friend, for pizza.  They brought a gift with a balloon as well as cake festooned with Kit Kats!  My daughter was surprised and delighted, and I was grateful for their making her feel so special.

Kindness and Rain Boots

"Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one's voice."

~ Joseph B. Wirthlin

A few months ago, I traveled overseas with one of my children on a school trip.  I came back with a pair of ankle-high rain boots.  They are light pink and lavender and have shapes that are vaguely reminiscent of hearts.  I didn't intend to return with rain boots.  But it was raining where we were and one of the teachers on the trip had gotten a pair, and decided that I should have some, too.  The teacher took me to a store that I can best liken to an old five-and-ten.  We climbed up stairs to a second floor where there were all kinds of rain boots in boxes, and we so dug through trying to find the right size, which had nothing to do with the numbers on the boxes.  There was nowhere to sit, so I would try on a boot standing up and then the teacher would yank it off my foot as we continued trying on different ones.  The whole effort made me laugh, but I greatly appreciated the teacher's insistence as I left the store wearing my new rain boots and quite comfortably walking through puddles.  Every time I see the rain boots, I chuckle thinking of the adventure and grateful for the teacher's thoughtfulness.

The Kindness of a Thoughtful Call

"Remember that a gesture of friendship, no matter how small, is always appreciated."

~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

The other day, the teenage daughter of one of my dearest friends called and asked me if I would "do something crazy."  It was the Fourth of July and she wanted me to take my family to join them to watch fireworks -- at that very moment.  Although we couldn't go because we had other plans, her call made me smile and I thought it was really sweet. 

Kindness at a Wake

"The main thing that you have to remember on this journey is, just be nice to everyone and always smile."

~ Ed Sheeran

I recently attended the wake for the father of a friend.  I went by myself and did not know many people there.  I was pleasantly surprised when my friend's 8th grade daughter, whom I have met once or twice, came over to speak to me.  We had a nice conversation, and she graciously introduced me to her friends and to her older siblings.

The Kindness of Sharing Bargains

"Well, for me, what I've learned at the very end of this, love is sharing, and I think that really is, for me, the best place to go to experience love, is sharing."

~ Jason Mraz

A good mom friend of mine is always ready to share a bargain.  Recently, she called to let me know that she had ordered two pairs of shoes for one of her children at a very good price, but they did not fit and did I want to buy them -- yes!  She also has introduced me to various online-shopping sites that consistently save me money.

Kindness and Colleagues

"If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another."

~ Winston Churchill

The other day, I emailed a professional colleague and received an out-of-office message, indicating that he was out of the country.  I called his assistant to see when he would be returning as I needed a response from him.  I had never talked to this young woman before, but we had a very nice conversation.  She was incredibly friendly and helpful.  Even though her boss was out of the country, she predicted -- correctly, as it turned out -- that he would respond within 24 hours or so.  After hanging up the phone, I marveled at how pleasant random kind interactions can be.

Kindness and Pulled Pork

"If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him... the people who give you their food give you their heart."

~ Cesar Chávez

We have friends who are just... well, very special.  On a recent evening, they called to see if we were interested in some pulled pork and potato salad that the husband had made for a family gathering the day before.  I was delighted and happily drove to their house to pick up the food.  Both dishes were delicious.  They had given me a good amount, so I called my mother and asked her if she wanted dinner.  Another working woman, she accepted gratefully.  As she sat in my kitchen close to 10 pm, she said, "Well, I didn't think I was going to eat this well tonight."  She also pronounced the pulled pork the best she's ever had.  There is something very nice about friends sharing food.  

The Kindness of Raising Children Right

"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters much."

~ Jackie Kennedy

At a Fourth of July parade, I was sitting next to a 10-year-old, a friend of my children.  The people in the parade were throwing candy at the spectators.  This little boy had gotten a piece of gum and I asked him whether he was going to eat it.  Yes, he said, but later because he did not want to eat the gum if he was going to run around as he might choke on it.  Kidding around, I asked him how he got to be so smart.  "My parents raised me right," he said.  The little boy then went on to tell me that if all parents raised their children correctly, the world would be a nicer place.

Kindness and a Pink Comb

"Being generous of spirit is a wonderful way to live."

~ Pete Seeger

My daughter has a very special friend.  They have been friends for nearly than 10 years and there have been countless kindnesses between them.  The other day, my daughter's friend wanted to get my daughter a special brush and comb for her birthday.  She also wanted to get a comb for herself as she already had the brush.  But there was only one pink comb.  And, of course, both girls claim pink as their favorite color.  My daughter's friend gave the pink one to my daughter.

Kindness, a Wedding and a Broken Shoe

"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge  that one day someone might do the same for you."

~ Princess Diana

I recently attended Saturday evening vigil Mass.  Toward the end of the Mass, people began arriving for a wedding.  As I was leaving the church, I opened the door for an older woman who seemed to have something stuck on her high-heeled pump.  When she stopped to look, it turned out that the sole had come off almost entirely from her shoe.  Two younger woman immediately came to her assistance.  They sat her in a chair in the sacristy as they looked for glue to fix the shoe.  One of the younger women sent her children to a nearby store to buy glue; the other woman, a teacher at the church school, looked for the maintenance man to open her classroom to get glue.  Once they found glue, the two women glued the  sole on the older woman's shoe.  They held the sole and the shoe together for a few minutes, so that the glue would adhere them.  Then they had the woman put on her shoe and take a few steps to see how the shoe felt.  Mission accomplished, they walked the older woman back to the church -- just in time for the wedding.

The Kindness and Encouragement in Openness

"There's just some magic in truth and honesty and openness."

~ Frank Ocean

A dear college friend posted the following on his Facebook page:  "Random fact.  My last cigarette was 1,021 days ago.  If anyone out there is trying to escape an unhealthy habit -- it's possible.  One day at a time."  I can't imagine that anyone read that without thinking, "Hmm, so maybe I can [fill in the blank]."  Whether we are trying to escape an unhealthy habit or develop a healthy one, sometimes it just seems so hard.  I found encouragement in my friend's openness.