This past week I witnessed the most Random Act of Kindness to date. It's not that I do not see many random acts of kindness throughout my days but this one for some reason left a little more hope in my life that the world is not as bad as it may seem to be. There are so many people that walk through my daily journey of life and very rarely do I witness anything but kindness, warm smiles, and greetings. There are times when you run into someone who has just not had a great day and when they feel your sincere words "have a nice day" it can completely turn their day around. It has been one of my goals for a few years now, to make someone's day better with a simple smile or a heart felt greeting to let them know they are not walking through life alone.
My girlfriend Kristy and I went out for a dinner date this past week and after we were finished eating she tagged along with me while I did a bit of Christmas shopping. The mall was, as expected, busy with shoppers eager to find the perfect gift for the loved ones in their lives. It has always amazed me that this wonderful time of the year brings out the best in people, but also the worst. The eagerness of finding that perfect gift sometimes resulted in an angry shopper taking their frustration out on a floor clerk or a cash register clerk, demanding an answer of why something was out of stock or not carried at all. We heard rude remarks regarding the pricing of items and the quality of which it was made of. There was one instance in which we witnessed a female shopper make a young cashier cry due to the shoppers credit card not accepting the purchase amount as if the young cashier had any control over that issue at all.
We heard many "thank you's" and "have a great holiday" and quite a few "Merry Christmas to you and your family" greetings. It was a common sight to see one shopper let another shopper go before them in the check out line. It was not uncommon at all for someone to reach in their pocket and provide the change needed for the shopper ahead of them to complete their payment. Many smiles, many greetings, many thank you's from one stranger to another. Kristy at one point said to me "I love this time of year, everyone's hearts seem to be filled with a lot of happiness." I agreed with her as I too was feeling that the warm Christmas spirit was outshining the chronic complainers.
We continued to walk the mall looking at all its stores had to offer in the area of Christmas ideas. Deciding to sit down and people watch was the norm for us. It was fun to watch the hustle and bustle of the shoppers as they scurried around. Couples, family's, friends as well as the occasional lone shopper were passing us as we sat and observed the busy flow of the mall halls. There was a commotion in front of the Coach Gift store that caught our attention. A group of boys stood laughing and joking around with each other. Late teens we guessed, juniors or possibly high school seniors who were hanging out at the mall having a good time. Other shoppers were clearly steering clear of their antics, often making remarks about them as if they were criminals out on the loose. We noticed they were getting dirty looks from other shoppers who were profiling them due to their ages and their motions. I personally thought they were just having fun, being a bit rowdy, but minding their own business and leaving everyone else alone.
Kristy turned my attention to a crying little boy, we guessed he was around the age of six and he appeared to be with his dad. We listened as his dad explained to him that what he wanted to buy was too much money for him to spend. We gathered by their conversation that the boy wanted to buy an ornament from the Coach Gift store for his mom. He had eleven dollars left to spend of his money and what he wanted to get his mom was almost $24. I remarked to Kristy that he must be trying to teach his son a lesson on gift giving and spending money, staying with-in your means and your budget. Something I have been trying to teach Kristy that was more challenging than just going out and earning more money for her to spend. I knew the concept all too well. The little boys tears were just not going to come to an end and we could see the frustration grow inside his dad.
I turned my attention back to the group of young men that everyone else seemed to be labeling as a gang of boys. They had grown quiet and they themselves were watching the scene between father and son. Dad was now down on one knee holding his sons hands talking to him in a very loving voice, trying to calm his son down. There was a small commotion once again about six feet away from where the boys tears were sliding so fast down his face they were actually splatting on the floor between him and his dad. The group of young men were now standing in a circle when one of them removed his ball cap and they were pulling change and dollars out of their jeans pockets. The tallest of the boys turned and walked over to the boy whose tears were ripping the holiday cheer right out of my heart. He handed the hat of money to the little boy and as that little boy took that hat full of random acts of kindness the older boy took his finger and wiped away a tear from the little boys cheek. The older boy simply turned around and walked back to his group of friends and they took off together walking down the hall of that mall. Not a word was exchanged between the dad and his son and those teenage boys.
Kristy dug a Kleenex out of her purse and took it over to the little boy to use on his runny nose and waterfall eyes. As we stood next to them, his dad, whose own eyes were now full of tears offered us an explanation we never asked for. "My wife died of cancer in September. It is our first Christmas without her in our home with us. Sean, my son, wanted to buy her a Christmas ornament for our tree with his own money. He would not let me help him pay for it."
We stood with them for a few moments, not really knowing what to say I offered, "That was a nice thing for them to do Sir. Angels come in all shapes and sizes and ages." He nodded his head in agreement. A little voice from down low spoke up "Daddy, I can buy mommy her gift now!" We walked into that gift shop with them to see the ornament this little boy wanted so badly for his mommy, now resting in heaven. It was a right fine ornament and a nice tribute from a small boy to his angel mom. Sean seemed pleased with his purchase as he paid for his gift with the money from his pocket and the cap of the tall boy. Kristy hugged that little boy tight and told him to have a very nice Christmas so his mommy in heaven could see how happy he is that she is with God for Christmas this year. "What about that boys hat?" he asked, "he forgot his hat." I took the hat from his hands and put it on his head, "I bet he wants you to have it so that someday when you are tall like him you can look at that hat and remember the nice thing those boys all did for you. Maybe someday you can help out a little kid like they helped you." His tears were gone and his smile was big as he grabbed his daddy's hand and they walked off down the same path of the boys that made a little kids heart feel big.
The ornament? It was a white flat plaque type ornament and had a pink breast cancer ribbon on it that contained wings. 'God needed a hero in heaven so he took my mommy'.
As I watched them walk away I thought about my mom, who is also in heaven, and the ornament I received from a very dear and close friend to my heart, that hangs on the Misfit tree each year. I thought about all the mommy's in heaven this year and all the sons and daughters that carry the pain of a parent gone. Then I thought about the greatest gift God gives to us. The gift of loved ones on earth that continue to love us from the heavens above. I truly believe it is better to have had and miss than to never have had at all. I urge to you this holiday season to remember to thank God for everything he has given, even if he has also taken it away. I love and miss all my angles in heaven and thank them for letting me know they are still very much a part of my life.
My girlfriend Kristy and I went out for a dinner date this past week and after we were finished eating she tagged along with me while I did a bit of Christmas shopping. The mall was, as expected, busy with shoppers eager to find the perfect gift for the loved ones in their lives. It has always amazed me that this wonderful time of the year brings out the best in people, but also the worst. The eagerness of finding that perfect gift sometimes resulted in an angry shopper taking their frustration out on a floor clerk or a cash register clerk, demanding an answer of why something was out of stock or not carried at all. We heard rude remarks regarding the pricing of items and the quality of which it was made of. There was one instance in which we witnessed a female shopper make a young cashier cry due to the shoppers credit card not accepting the purchase amount as if the young cashier had any control over that issue at all.
We heard many "thank you's" and "have a great holiday" and quite a few "Merry Christmas to you and your family" greetings. It was a common sight to see one shopper let another shopper go before them in the check out line. It was not uncommon at all for someone to reach in their pocket and provide the change needed for the shopper ahead of them to complete their payment. Many smiles, many greetings, many thank you's from one stranger to another. Kristy at one point said to me "I love this time of year, everyone's hearts seem to be filled with a lot of happiness." I agreed with her as I too was feeling that the warm Christmas spirit was outshining the chronic complainers.
We continued to walk the mall looking at all its stores had to offer in the area of Christmas ideas. Deciding to sit down and people watch was the norm for us. It was fun to watch the hustle and bustle of the shoppers as they scurried around. Couples, family's, friends as well as the occasional lone shopper were passing us as we sat and observed the busy flow of the mall halls. There was a commotion in front of the Coach Gift store that caught our attention. A group of boys stood laughing and joking around with each other. Late teens we guessed, juniors or possibly high school seniors who were hanging out at the mall having a good time. Other shoppers were clearly steering clear of their antics, often making remarks about them as if they were criminals out on the loose. We noticed they were getting dirty looks from other shoppers who were profiling them due to their ages and their motions. I personally thought they were just having fun, being a bit rowdy, but minding their own business and leaving everyone else alone.
Kristy turned my attention to a crying little boy, we guessed he was around the age of six and he appeared to be with his dad. We listened as his dad explained to him that what he wanted to buy was too much money for him to spend. We gathered by their conversation that the boy wanted to buy an ornament from the Coach Gift store for his mom. He had eleven dollars left to spend of his money and what he wanted to get his mom was almost $24. I remarked to Kristy that he must be trying to teach his son a lesson on gift giving and spending money, staying with-in your means and your budget. Something I have been trying to teach Kristy that was more challenging than just going out and earning more money for her to spend. I knew the concept all too well. The little boys tears were just not going to come to an end and we could see the frustration grow inside his dad.
I turned my attention back to the group of young men that everyone else seemed to be labeling as a gang of boys. They had grown quiet and they themselves were watching the scene between father and son. Dad was now down on one knee holding his sons hands talking to him in a very loving voice, trying to calm his son down. There was a small commotion once again about six feet away from where the boys tears were sliding so fast down his face they were actually splatting on the floor between him and his dad. The group of young men were now standing in a circle when one of them removed his ball cap and they were pulling change and dollars out of their jeans pockets. The tallest of the boys turned and walked over to the boy whose tears were ripping the holiday cheer right out of my heart. He handed the hat of money to the little boy and as that little boy took that hat full of random acts of kindness the older boy took his finger and wiped away a tear from the little boys cheek. The older boy simply turned around and walked back to his group of friends and they took off together walking down the hall of that mall. Not a word was exchanged between the dad and his son and those teenage boys.
Kristy dug a Kleenex out of her purse and took it over to the little boy to use on his runny nose and waterfall eyes. As we stood next to them, his dad, whose own eyes were now full of tears offered us an explanation we never asked for. "My wife died of cancer in September. It is our first Christmas without her in our home with us. Sean, my son, wanted to buy her a Christmas ornament for our tree with his own money. He would not let me help him pay for it."
We stood with them for a few moments, not really knowing what to say I offered, "That was a nice thing for them to do Sir. Angels come in all shapes and sizes and ages." He nodded his head in agreement. A little voice from down low spoke up "Daddy, I can buy mommy her gift now!" We walked into that gift shop with them to see the ornament this little boy wanted so badly for his mommy, now resting in heaven. It was a right fine ornament and a nice tribute from a small boy to his angel mom. Sean seemed pleased with his purchase as he paid for his gift with the money from his pocket and the cap of the tall boy. Kristy hugged that little boy tight and told him to have a very nice Christmas so his mommy in heaven could see how happy he is that she is with God for Christmas this year. "What about that boys hat?" he asked, "he forgot his hat." I took the hat from his hands and put it on his head, "I bet he wants you to have it so that someday when you are tall like him you can look at that hat and remember the nice thing those boys all did for you. Maybe someday you can help out a little kid like they helped you." His tears were gone and his smile was big as he grabbed his daddy's hand and they walked off down the same path of the boys that made a little kids heart feel big.
The ornament? It was a white flat plaque type ornament and had a pink breast cancer ribbon on it that contained wings. 'God needed a hero in heaven so he took my mommy'.
As I watched them walk away I thought about my mom, who is also in heaven, and the ornament I received from a very dear and close friend to my heart, that hangs on the Misfit tree each year. I thought about all the mommy's in heaven this year and all the sons and daughters that carry the pain of a parent gone. Then I thought about the greatest gift God gives to us. The gift of loved ones on earth that continue to love us from the heavens above. I truly believe it is better to have had and miss than to never have had at all. I urge to you this holiday season to remember to thank God for everything he has given, even if he has also taken it away. I love and miss all my angles in heaven and thank them for letting me know they are still very much a part of my life.
