Kindness and Winter Woollies

“Every minute of every hour of every day you are making the world, just as you are making yourself, and you might as well do it with generosity and kindness and style.”

~ Rebecca Soinit

Recently, I was planning a trip up north with one of my children.  Given that I don’t own that many cold-weather clothes, I was going to go shopping for a couple of things.  However, my steadfast friend, who had just returned from Canada, told me to stop by her house before I bought anything.  When I arrived, she had laid out several coats for my daughter and me to try on.  She lent us two coats as well as gloves, neck warmers and a number of other things to keep us warm.  Extreme weather resulted in our trip being canceled, but I greatly appreciated my steadfast friend’s loan of her winter clothes and accessories.

Kindness and French Fries

"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

My son really likes the French "steak frites" -- steak and fries.  One of the things that he wanted to do during Christmas break was to go to our favorite French cafe and enjoy his favorite dish.  So we planned the lunch and he very much looked forward to it.  When my son ordered at the restaurant, the owner said that her fryer was broken, so she could not serve fries.  But when she brought out our meals, my son's plate had a steak and fries.  I asked her how she had managed and she said that she had made them on the stove top for him.

Kindness at the Hardware Store

"Kindness can come from someone on Twitter, it can come from someone on the street.  It can come from someone at work.  Without kindness, I don't know what I would do.  The greatest part of life is the simple things."
~ Andie McDowell

As odd as it would sound to anyone who knows me, I recently went to the hardware store.  Odder still, I took a couple of pieces of a book shelf that I was trying to assemble.  The pieces were heavy and a bit bulky, so I asked one of the employees at the store if he could go out to my car to take a look at what I was trying to put together.  The young man walked out to my car and helped me bring the pieces inside.  He found the type of screws I needed, assembled the pieces I had brought, and then carried my book shelf out to my car for me.

Kindness and a Christmas Centerpiece

"Deliberately seek opportunities for kindness, sympathy and patience."
~ Evelyn Underhill

We have friends from out-of-town who also have a home where we live, and they visit several times a year.  After their most recent visit, I found a package outside my door.  They had left a beautiful Christmas centerpiece for us to enjoy.

Kindness, Old Friends and a Christmas Ornament

“To be with old friends is very warming and comforting.”

~ Ian Ziering

During Christmas, I received an incredibly thoughtful gift from a childhood friend, with whom I went to school from elementary school through high school.  A couple of months ago, we got together with a handful of our best childhood friends after an event at our former school.  My friend sent me an ornament that was a small, framed photo of the five of us from our most recent meeting with a small plaque that had the year on it.  It is a beautiful gift and it came lovingly wrapped in Christmas tree tissue paper with a very sweet note.  I marveled at her thoughtfulness and at the effort – all the steps involved in getting that wonderful gift to me and to our other friends.

Kindness and Two Cookies

“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

I recently drove my son to a sandwich shop near our home.  I waited for him in the car.  At one point, he came back to the car because the store was having trouble with the register and could only accept cash, and I had initially given him a credit card.  When he returned with his sandwich, he also had a big smile.  The cashier had given him two cookies – no charge.  

Kindness and Holiday Traditions

“Christmas is far and away my favorite holiday.  I love everything about it, from the event that inspired it, hoping for a white one, to wrapping presents.  But mostly I love having family and friends gathered, and sharing traditions.”

~ Ellen Hopkins

There are many holiday traditions that have been with us since childhood and then there are the ones we develop along the way.  A former colleague and I decided several years ago that we would make going to one of our favorite restaurants a holiday tradition.  And for several years now, we have been meeting with friends from out of town on the first day of the year for an extended visit and gift exchange.  Spending time with those we love is an incredible gift we both give and receive.