kindness

Kindness and a Chuckle from a Stranger

photo: Wikimedia Commons

As I pulled into a parking space at the grocery store today, my tires crunching over the ice from rain that froze overnight, I noticed him. An older man, possibly in his mid-to later 70s, walking toward his car. He stopped, looking over at me, as if waiting for me to get out of my car.

I noticed in the backseat of his car a beautiful dog, which looked to be a Carin Terrier.  I smiled.

Once out my door he said, “Are you okay to walk across the ice? Or I can assist you and you can hold onto my arm.” 

I said, “Oh, I think I’ll be fine. But thank you.” 

“You are welcome,”  he said smiling, and then added, “You sure do look nice today.” 

I sensed he didn’t mean any harm, but was just having a little fun flirting. “Oh gosh, thank you. You are sweet,”  I said.  “Is that your dog in the backseat?” 

He said, “That’s my girlfriend.” 

I chuckled. “She sure is cute.”

He said, “You see, my wife allows me to have three girlfriends. I have two girlfriends at home who are my hunting dogs and this one, she is my puppy dog girlfriend.” 

Chuckling once again at his humor, I said, “You have a very nice wife and you just made my day.” 

He said, “Well you made my day, too.” 

And on our way we both went.

I smiled practically all the way through the grocery store. And I thought about how when I was younger I would have looked away, worried that this man was weird, strange or wanted something from me.

He was harmless and just wanted to talk and in doing so, he truly did make my day with his kindness and sense of humor. And heck, even if he was flirting a bit…I thought, more power to him.  He is alive and well and making the most of his life — gotta love that!

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Sunshine on the Street

Sunshine on the Street. Spreading Love, Kindness and Joy.
My sign this year- Kindness Matters

The second annual “Sunshine on the Street” was held today in a neighboring city from where I live. The idea of Dr. Cindy Munson of Chiro-Health Care Center and her staff as a way of spreading love, joy and kindness.

All downtown businesses are invited to participate by making signs and standing outside their business for a half hour over lunch to make passerby’s smile and light up the downtown with lots of sunshine.

Such an easy and fun way to spread happiness! Hope you enjoy the short video as my way of helping to spread the happiness even further.

Kindness Found Me Today

Kindness Found Me Today
artwork by Shannon Winter

The first thing I saw on Facebook this morning was a post from my sister sharing Tim McGraw’s new music video Humble and Kind. If you’ve not seen it, take a few moments and watch it now. I promise it will uplift you!

I listened to it three times. So simple, really, to be humble and kind. So easy to say please and thank you. To smile at a stranger on the street. To do little acts of kindness.

Today, being my day I set aside for errands and any appointments, I ran out to start my car so it would be warm when it was time for me to leave.

Imagine my surprise when I found a large lime green package sitting on the seat of the drivers side.

I couldn’t imagine who had left it there — or even more so, what it was!

I hurried back inside, already starting to tear at the paper as I couldn’t wait to see what it was (I never was good at waiting to open gifts!).

My eyes instantly filled with tears when I saw it was a painting my friend Shannon did – a sign for the entrance to my Joyful Pause Studio where I held my first SoulCollage® workshop last Saturday.

And here’s the thing. It was over two years ago when I had lunch with Shannon sharing with her that I was thinking about offering workshops for women out of my home- but I wasn’t quite sure what they would be.

That was until I discovered SoulCollage®. Last Saturday felt like a new beginning, while at the same time it felt like a full circle moment. What I had been giving thought to for so long had finally manifested.

I had made a temporary ‘Joyful Pause Studio’ sign figuring I’d make, or find something, that I’d replace it with eventually.

And the Universe was listening – just as it has been all along. Shannon attended my first workshop in the studio and told me she felt called to make this artistic and beautiful painting for me.

And out into the world I went today so light in spirit because kindness found me today.

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