Making the World a Better Place part 3
Lady Who Hugged me in Michael’s Parking Lot
I was on my way to work, again, when I noticed a woman digging through garbage cans in the parking lot of a strip mall, presumably for returnable bottles. It was early and none of the stores were open yet. After praying, I decided to pull in. As I approached she looked up and we made eye contact. I was surprised to see a woman, perhaps in her late 60s, nicely groomed and wearing clean cloths, she looked like she could have been my neighbor. I got out of my car and said hello.
“Are you looking for something?” I asked.
“Yes, bottles. I just need a little more money to make ends meet. I know this looks strange.”
We talked for a quite a while. She has kids who live out of town and she didn’t want to bother them or ask for anything. I told her that if I were one of them, I would want to know if she was in need. Furthermore, they owe her for all she did for them over the years! She was very well spoken and pleasant; I enjoyed our visit. As I was leaving, I handed her $20. She refused to take it and I insisted. She politely declined again. I finally told her that if she didn’t take it, I would be hurt and it would bother me all day, and so on. She finally accepted and gave me a huge hug. It was an amazing experience. I found myself regretting not asking her where she lived so I could visit with her again.
As I drove to work, I couldn’t shake the thought that somehow, we have failed as a society when it comes to valuing the elderly. These are only a few of the people who I have met over the years. There are many others who have made an impression on me. Every time, without fail, what do they say? “God bless You.” Interestingly, that is exactly the way He set it up.
So, my suggestion is that we all make random acts of kindness a regular part of our lives. If you aren’t sure about the idea, consider trying it for a while. If you aren’t convinced after that, you may want to consider trying again.
Sure, every once in a while, you do something stupid, such as, for example, throw a dollar in some guy’s cup of coffee.
The occasional mistake is a small price to pay for the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life and yours.
And, for the record, even that guy smiled at me and said “thank you.”