I read a heartwarming story on the plane coming back from San Francisco this week. It was a story of a war veteran returning home from a controversial war in which we were involved many years ago. There was great hostility toward the veterans, with frequent rudeness and caustic interactions. This man boarded a flight to go home, and as he was settling into his seat, a little girl offered him a magazine and timidly said “Welcome Home.” This man could barely muster a thank you before turning to the window to weep openly, as he was so touched by the innocent kindness from this little girl. He went on to say that this small interaction changed his life, and over the past 30+ years he has consciously tried to bestow small acts of kindness to strangers each day.
On this hump day, what a wonderful story from which to learn! Let’s each try to do one random act of kindness each day. It could be a simple as a smile or unexpected hello or offering a magazine to the person sitting next to you on the plane – wouldn’t the world be a much kinder and gentler place?