I was walking into a store from the parking lot and, as I was approaching the door, the woman coming out instantly brightened with a huge, beaming smile. Immediately, my mood brightened, and I instinctively returned her contagious smile. It was a nanosecond later that I realized she was smiling at her dog in the car parked next to me but, for one fleeting moment, that woman’s infectious greeting was single-handedly the best part of my day.
Don’t get me wrong, the instant morbid embarrassment set in when I realized she had not meant that smile for me but, nonetheless, it brightened my day and I was a better person because of it.
How simple; a smile from a stranger not even meant for me, instantly lifted my mood. I felt it immediately; the skies parted, a choir of angels sang, and my heart ached with happiness.
Okay, maybe it wasn’t that epic, but a mere gesture had an amazingly profound impact on my day.
More importantly, I wanted to share that with others.
This coming week, February 18-22, is Random Act of Kindness week, and I, for one, intend to celebrate. Doesn’t it put an extra spring in your step when someone surprises you with an unexpected good deed? Maybe it’s a stranger sharing a smile, or holding a door, or letting you cut in front of them in the checkout line because you have fewer items. Maybe it’s a compliment from a coworker or a fellow coffeeholic paying it forward and picking up the tab for your daily java. The smallest of gestures can mean the world to someone, and most times, simple acts of kindness don’t cost a thing.
When you choose to share kindness, nine times of out 10 you are the one who benefits, and sometimes the most unintentional, not-even-meant-for-you event can bring happiness to your heart.
