Back around 1989-90 when my life was about running errands, laundry, homework, nut house work, children and just getting through a day. (I wish my older self could have told my 32 old self….hold on your life is wonderful. Believe me…Truly, it is.)
Today I would like to share a little story…one that warms and breaks my heart all at the same time.
Kent, Denver, Mason and I were on a little errand with Danny. (We did that lots….Nut house errands that is.}
We were driving a car that Ben (Danny’s boyhood friend) had bought at an auction. (They both liked to buy cars at the auction…kind of a hobby money on the side kind of thing) Okay, sorry… back to the story.
We are off…in Ben's sorry looking car from the auction, heading to Stockton so Danny could talk to a Banker about loaning us money to help with the upcoming nut season.
We didn’t want to park in front of the bank in that car….because…really the banker would take one look at the car and think we were on our last leg, we didn’t want to give him any reason not to loans us the money. (I mean things were very tight back then….but we were growing.)
With this in mind….we parked in front of the Burger King. Danny hopped out of the car and said wait here when I get back we will go in and get something to eat.
So, there we are sitting waiting, things always took longer than Danny said they would.
Well, Denver was tired of waiting. He hung his head out the window and started to cry….I’m hungry, I’m starving, over and over. (Little history about Denver….he was tiny for his age and had dark deep set eyes and high cheekbones, very pronounced features.)
There he is hanging out the window tiny and frail looking and crying I’m hungry, I’m starving.
He knew we were going to eat as soon as Dad got back…but he wanted things on his timetable… but I was standing my ground… I was going to win this one.
I had totally blocked him out. There we sat- Denver, still Starving and I was just reading to Kent in the front seat.
When the tiniest very old lady came up to the car and handed me $10 and said “Will this help?”
I assured her that we were fine and that Denver was just trying to get his way….but she would not leave... she said-
“No need to be proud sweetheart, I’ve been there and I understand let me help you.” She reached in and gave me a hug and then left.
I just sat there and cried…once I started, Denver stopped. Then Danny finally came and said what happened. Why, is everyone crying? I told him what had happened. ….and how horrible I felt; that little old lady probably gave us the last of her change.
I’m sure the combination of the sorry sad car and Denver’s I’m starving cries…she just had to help.
I never learned who that lady was, but I think of her from time to time. How gentle and kind she was with no judgments.
Today is my Birthday and in honor of her memory – I spent the day in Random acts of kindness. I won’t share all the details…..but I did find a car, a lady, older man and some children.
And I let a couple of my grandchildren help me on my last 5 quests. (I tried to do my age in acts of kindness…tried is the key word…I’m getting old.}
I got the idea about RAK from my daughter see the link here.
This day helped me remember that kindness really does matter.
I hope this inspires your own birthday RAK celebration.
Thank you for all the birthday wishes, text, phone calls and gifts. I feel blessed.
Happy Day
