Did You Smile Yesterday?

Day 4: Were You Kind and Compassionate?

How was yesterday? Did you smile? Did you deliberately look for opportunities to smile? Or did you just come upon them? How did you feel before and after? Did you feel like you genuinely helped?

The interesting outcome is we will rarely know how our act or smile was received and how it rippled out from there. But getting positive feedback is not our goal. Spreading loving kindness and compassion is. Of course, a smile is always a welcome benefit.

My day proves I’m still learning. In the morning I had another spam text about my husband needing life insurance. I hate these calls. Dean died nearly three years ago, and it is still hard for me to be kind, especially when it comes to car warranties and college loans. I texted a note to say my husband had died and to STOP the texts.

I received the sweetest text back. She too had lost her husband and understood about unwanted calls. She wished me good days ahead and to get in touch with her if I wanted to talk. That changed my whole day. Something that simple, compared to the robocalls of before.

Then at the garden center, where I always hyperventilate in spring, seeing all the gorgeous plants asking me to wisk them away, I saw my opportunity: a mom carrying one toddler and watching another wandering while checking out succulents for Grandma’s sunroom. I asked if I could get her a wagon for the precious plants, and when I got back, the older toddler and I went to look for intriguing green things Grandma might like (within sight of mom). He just chattered away and took one of the plants back to his sister and to see if she thought Grandma would like that. He kept saying “It looks like baseballs!” And indeed it did, hence its name. (Succulents are truly amazing.)

We chatted for a minute while the two siblings talked about the plants and the colors. Mom thanked me, I said good-bye to the kids, and left with a huge smile on my face. Thinking about that little boy asking his sister about the plant will stay with me. That was a double opportunity — helping mom and paying attention to the chatter of the toddlers.

Opportunities are there for you. As Crones, we should be old enough to sense when we shouldn’t interfere to “help out,” but most of the time it is welcome.

Any sightings on your part? Share them in the comments.

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