– by Pene Beavan Horton –
In a world reeling from atrocities near and far, it is heartwarming to discover simple kindness in unexpected places, at unexpected times.
Out for a walk one evening, we passed a home where the owners had placed a stainless steel dish of water near the sidewalk, for thirsty dogs. Perhaps they were doing this in memory of a dog they had loved and lost. Perhaps it was just a thoughtful gesture, like those benches people place for others to sit on, with a sign saying “Rest a While.”
On a different walk we came across a wheelbarrow full of a homeowner’s apples, with a “help yourself” sign … the added touch was the provision of shopping bags so those who partook had something to carry the apples in.
The latest discovery for me, just yesterday, was a beautiful wood cabinet with a glass front standing by the sidewalk. It was full of books. Passersby were invited to take a book and leave one.
Mostly, when I think of kindness, I remember being in a car with my friend Betty Griffiths. We were driving past a small park and Betty noticed a man lying face down on the grass. There was something about the way he was lying that worried Betty. She was a nurse, and one of the kindest people I have ever known.
“I hope he is all right,” she said.
“So do I,” I said, looking back the way we had come to see if the man had moved.
I confess I would have kept going, hoping vaguely that he was all right. Betty pulled over, turned the car and drove back to the park to check on the man.
I learned a big lesson that day. There are two kinds of people: those who think about being kind, and those who are kind. Betty was kind enough to act on her worry. As it happened, the man was just sleeping. He didn’t need anything, but I did … I needed to find out which kind of person I wanted to be.
Times have changed a lot since then. These days a woman would be foolish to try to help in a similar situation. Sadly, it is now necessary to exercise caution with kindness.
Our world needs kindness. The news is full of ugliness and tragedy. Leaving a dish of water for someone else’s dog is not newsworthy, but perhaps it should be! Too often unnoticed is the extraordinary kindness of ordinary people, people who care … our neighbours, in fact.
Kindness takes many shapes, and is often found in small, simple acts, from a smile, to a helping hand as someone elderly crosses a busy street, to a donation to the Food Bank. It is not hard to be kind, so perhaps learning to notice an opportunity to help is the first step to a life-changing awareness of other people’s needs.
I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody’s need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind.
Anon
