This morning I was at the diner and a dad walked in with his son and checked his wallet and promptly realized he didn't have cash on him. I heard him as he turned to his kid and said "we'll come back next time buddy" and they walked out. I was sitting in the front window sipping a coffee while Maggie read a book and after hesitating for a second I dashed out after them.
"Hey!" I shouted at him, "Come back in. Come eat, pay tomorrow. You're here and he's hungry, don't leave." He looked a little shocked but said yes and thank you and led his boy back inside to a table and they proceeded to order and eat the breakfast they'd both biked here for. When Maggie and I left he stopped me and introduced himself and thanked me. It was really my pleasure, I told him, and it really was.
On the walk home Maggie asked me what the guy was saying to me. I explained that he didn't have money on him and that I told him to come eat and pay tomorrow. Maggie said wow mom, that's really nice. I told her that you never win when you play dirty and you can never go wrong with kindness, a lesson I hope she holds onto for a long time.
There have been moments in my life when I hesitated to do a kind thing, and then it was too late, and I never got to. Holding the door for someone, listening when someone needs an ear, buying a kid at the playground an ice cream who's parents don't have cash on them, all opportunities I don't want to miss. I want my kids to learn this lesson over and over again til it's their mantra: you can never go wrong with kindness.
Side note about this blog: I considered shutting it down after my grandmother died, but have decided not to. This place I've come to for the past few years to write has been special to me and I don't want it to end. Life is still happening and I want to acknowledge that. So here I am, still typing away. Thank you for being here with me.
