I want to tell you about a very valuable lesson i learned about where kindness can take you. So often when i find myself doing an act of kindness it is a quick in and a quick out. What i mean by this is , perhaps i have paid for the person behind me in the drive-thru. I pay and i'm off never really known what impact i may have made, enjoying their surprise when they realize the gesture or if they have maybe paid it forward to the one behind them. Im good with that. "My work here is done".
So often this is the case. But recently i have met a woman who has not only been handed a death sentence of liver disease but is also alone raising her 4 year old grandson, who has autism. She is a candidate for a transplant but is hundreds of miles from the care facility she would need to go to. Worse she is not able to get on a wait list until she has established residency in that state. The idea of moving her grandson is daunting in and of itself. Change for him is very traumatic and very confusing for him. After hearing her story, my heart ached for her and her baby. What could i do? How could i do it? And what would the responsibilities be in reaching out to someone that obviously need a bit of kindness, both financially and emotionally?
For one of the first times in my life i was ready to help someone who didn't just need a burger and a coke paid for, but needed a friend, needed support but more importantly needed to know hope existed. So after reaching out to her and finding ways to help with resources for the daunting task of moving her whole life on a moments notice, i wasn't just helping her i was helping me to understand the what it is to be something other than a quick fix or quick reminder to someone. How to make a life long friendship. She has taught me so much in such a short time about hope, love and kindness. Her allowing me to be a small part of her journey has restored my faith, reminded me that my struggles are small in comparison and small acts of kindness are more for feeling better about yourself in a very positive way. But this kind of kindness is on a much more personal level.
While i will continue to do the small things, this has brought new joy to the meaning of kindness. I guess what I'm trying to put out there is that really diving into building a relationship with someone, who at the moment may need a hand up, is far more rewarding than ever i imagined.
I now have a great life long friend. She has help me in more ways than she will ever know.
Thank you "Ocean Lover" much love my friend.
