joyful2beeblogs

Over the years I’ve had several interesting encounters with people, which made me feel that I had been led to be at a certain place at a certain time. As a whole, I love people. I was raised in a loving family and was taught in church that God loves everyone. So, I generally have a family attitude towards other people. I like to be friendly and helpful when I can be, but not intrusive or pushy.

One of these encounters occurred several years ago. I just picked up a few groceries and was pushing my grocery cart towards my car. I noticed a slim, elderly gentleman trying to lift a large, plastic-wrapped flat of small or medium water bottles. The plastic was stretching, causing the flat to be wobbly and awkward to pick up. He was struggling to lift it from his grocery scooter; it was a bit beyond his strength.

I came up right beside him and offered to help. I told him that I couldn’t lift them by myself but could help him and together we could lift the package from the scooter and into his car’s trunk. He looked to be a bright and kind, elderly fellow and his face lit up as I spoke to him. He smiled broadly and we succeeded more easily in lifting the flat into his trunk.

He just exuded a kind manner and thanked me. I noticed that he had an accent and asked him if he were Italian or Greek. He said he was from an island off the coast of Mexico. He shared his story of how he came to America. He had wanted to come to the States ever since he was ten years old, because of a movie of a young man driving a nice car. He had clung to the memory of that movie and was able to move to the states for high school and later college and had held a good job.

He smiled broadly at me and we talked briefly. But I had to go, so we said good-bye. I cannot tell you how happy it made me feel that I had made him smile and how his face just lit up when I offered to help him. He was surprised that a total stranger would smile and offer to help. I got the feeling from him that I made his day just by being friendly and helpful.

I almost forgot the following song sung by Glen Campbell, “Try a Little Kindness.” Here is the link for it

Sometimes it pays to listen to the voice in your head or heart that tells you to do something or go somewhere different from where you were planning to go.

One day I was on the way to one restaurant. As I got closer, I neared an intersection that I had turned onto before to eat lunch at a different restaurant. On an impulse, I drove to the second restaurant. The restaurant was not busy and the waitress seated me in the side area, in a sunny, quiet section. She was college age and very nice.

After she brought out my lunch, I asked her if she was in college. There was something about her that made me think she might enjoy a bit of conversation. Since it was a very quiet day, I asked her if she had many clients besides me that day. She said she didn’t have many.

So I offered her to sit down with me and talk. She told me she wanted to go to college but wasn’t sure what she wanted to study for a degree. She said her parents wanted her to major in one thing but she wanted to major in something different. She just couldn’t decide which one she should choose.

So I asked her, “Which one do you feel the most led to study?”

She replied, “Psychology.”

I think I asked her, “Why?” and she explained.

I told her to study what she loved and felt called to do. Her face lit up and she thanked me. She had to tend to another customer for a few minutes and came back.

Her smile was brighter than before and she said, “Thank you so much for talking with me. It was hard to decide before I talked with you. But I feel this is the right thing for me to study now. You really helped me make up my mind.”

Wow, I felt so happy that I had helped a young person make such a major decision. Being kind doesn’t hurt anyone. Kindness can be shown to people, animals, trees, and any living thing, even an innocent, harmless, little, bug. Our world could be a lot better if we: “Tried a Little Kindness.”