KINDNESS REALLY MATTERS

It’s amazing how kind words from total strangers can turn your day around.

Bob and I were walking recently at Ocean Beach.  Holding hands and slowly strolling. I was using my cane as my left knee is patiently awaiting replacement surgery. 

Ocean Beach is quite eccentric.  It’s not pristine and there’s an interesting mix of homeless, folks who live in their cars, hippies, fishermen, and surfers.  On this day there was even a goat.  And then there was us.  I am sure we stood out to most as we slowly strolled along the sidewalk heading to the pier.

I caught the eye of a young man who was smiling and staring at us.  He said, “You two are cute, have a nice day”.  I returned the greeting.  You have a nice day, too.  I really had a big grin on my face behind my mask as his kind words echoed in my head.

We strolled on down to the pier and started up the long flight of steps.  We must take the steps slowly and we both need to hold the railing.  A young spry woman quickly passed us by but as she did, she said, “I want what you two have some day”.  And on her way, she went.  What she saw in us is the us that I forget about sometime.  The us that still loves to be together.  The us that still holds hands.  The us that still looks out for each other.  The us that can walk together in silence and be totally happy.

To have two people remind me of what we have was such a huge blessing.  They may have seen that we were old and slow and infirmed, but they also saw that we loved each other.

God bless them for reminding us.  

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”

—Aesop