An Act of Kindness

Typically, when someone brags about an act of kindness, it is something that person did for someone else. Today I'd like to do the opposite.

Saturday when I left for the grocery store the weather was fine. By the time I came out of the store, it was pouring rain!

I stood outside the store doors looking at the rain and trying to decide what to do. Should I run for it or should I wait a few minutes to see if it slowed down?

While I was thinking, a woman I did not know and had never seen before walked up to me. She looked at me with concern and asked, "Do you have an umbrella?" I told her no.

She looked at the parking lot and the pouring rain, then turned to me and asked, "Would you like me to walk you to your car with my umbrella?"

I was stunned and at first speechless! I declined the generous offer, but she made me smile. She replied, "Are you sure? Your hair will get wet."

Though I was very touched, I still turned her down. In truth, it wasn't raining that hard and it wasn't very cold out. (If it were February, I might have accepted.) And my hair is not very long.

This is the first time in a very long time I was the recipient of an act of kindness, and I gotta say, it felt great! Not only was I happier for the rest of the day, I was nicer to other people, too.

And it didn't stop Saturday -- I'm still talking about her.

So, to whoever the generous woman at the grocery was -- thank you! You made my week!