Kindness: A rare find

Taking the blog on another spiritual journey (see previous post about trust); an event this evening triggered my thoughts about Kindness.  It is Feb 20th here in MN and we are having a "blizzard".  I actually made it all the way home only to become seriously stuck in our cul-de-sac.  One of our neighbors, whom I've only met once, was out snow blowing his driveway...he immediately came over to help me!  Between Fuey with his snow blower and my husband with ours, the were able to unstick me and I was able to get my car not only into our driveway but into the garage!  If you've never dealt with MN road conditions during a "blizzard" you won't understand the accomplishment in this task!  My husband than proceeded to help our next door neighbors who were having a difficult time to blow out their drive way!

Random acts of kindness.  Where have they gone?  It seems in today's world, everyone is so consumed with their own needs and wants they forget about the simple act of being kind, for no reason at all, to someone else.  Like I've mentioned before, I work in an ER as a nurse.  Back when I was in high school and undergrad nursing school, people treated nurses like gold! they were appreciative, respectful and thoughtful...that is a rare find these days.  Most shifts I am bitched at for taking too long to do something, that I didn't ask the right question, give the medication soon enough, didn't update someone about something, or didn't do someone else's job for them....what the hell am I...a servant!  People are rarely kind anymore and it is far and few between that I hear someone say thank you to me, even at work, or express their gratitude the care I've given them...It tends to make a person bitter and jaded, and a bit unsympathetic.

A few weeks ago I was on my way to work and stopped at Starbucks for my morning Latte.  When I pulled up to the window the barista informed me that the car ahead of me paid for my drink! Wow really, I've only read stories about that happening! I was so appreciative at this random act of kindness that I said, "wow cool, I'll pay for the person behind me!"  The barista looked at me like I was on crack...they must not see many random acts of kindness either. 

SO I guess what I'm saying is none is kind enough anymore and we could all do better at it!  I find myself bitter, jaded and biased a good deal of the time and I'd rather not be that way so I'm going to present a challenge not only to you but to myself...to try to do at least 1 random act of kindness each week!  I think that's a pretty good start!