A few days ago, I was shopping at the mall for a couple of birthday presents. Ahead of me in line was an older lady, buying a gift for her teenage granddaughter. She had been rung up when she noticed the little tubes of handcream by the register, and asked if she could add one to her sale. The salesgal said sure, but she would have to re-ring the whole thing again, and it was no trouble as long as the lady wasn’t in a hurry. Without a thought, I told her to put it on my purchase, so that the lady wouldn’t have to wait. The lady turned to me and said it wasn’t necessary, and I told her it was no bother, since I didn’t want her inconvenienced. She smiled and thanked me, and as she completed her sale, she took my hand and blessed me for my kindness.
I admit that stunned me a bit. I didn’t practice a kindness, as far as I was concerned. A courtesy? Yes, that’s what my parents taught us to do. But offering to purchase a little tube of handcream doesn’t elevate to a kindness in my book. It saddened me a bit to think that she thought it was, because perhaps she doesn’t experience kindnesses often. Sometimes we are in too much of a hurry to help others, and slowing down a bit can help put things in a better perspective.
The Golden Rule™: It’s where it’s at 😉