Late this morning I ran to the grocery store for a very quick fill-in trip. I was in the store for literally four minutes (I picked up plums, plutots, and hummus), then made my way to the check-out.
The woman in front of me had about 20 items in her cart. As she was about to begin unloading her groceries onto the conveyor belt, she noticed me – and saw that I had just a few items in my basket.
Her hand mid-air, she paused; and after a brief moment of hesitation, she said (with genuine sincerity), “You only have a few items; would you like to go ahead of me?”
I smiled. I could sense that she was in a slight rush – which made her offer even more generous. I gently shook my head, and replied, “No, that’s okay; you go ahead.”
The woman paused once more, and asked, “Are you sure?” I smiled, and nodded. “Yes; but thank you so much for offering! That is really kind of you.” I reassured her with a second grin.
The woman smiled back, then turned to load her groceries for the cashier. I continued smiling, delighted to see another person in the world perform a simple, sweet act of kindness; and grateful to have been the recipient of the gift.
Stef
Smile, kiddo. 
What a kind gesture. I just love how you document all these acts, small, large, and everything in between, here in this space.
LikeLike
Thanks Lia! I have to say, the “paying attention” that writing this blog ‘requires’ of me really does make life more interesting, more engaging, and more fun. And in the recollecting, and the sharing, I feel like I’m more a part of life, and am therefore more fully engaged in the living. It’s really quite wonderful. 🙂
LikeLike
one morning the line up at Tims was long as usual and I had made the mistake of approaching it from the wrong side of the parking lot. A kind woman let me into the line ahead of her. When I paid for my coffee, I asked how much her order was and then paid for her coffee. She was so thrilled that she honked her horn to say thanks and then again at the nearest red light. it felt good to have been let in and felt even better to have paid for her coffee.
smiles all around!
LikeLike
That’s terrific! I love how you returned a kindness with a kindness; absolutely fantastic. 🙂
LikeLike
And how nice of you to refuse the offer? A lot of people would have probably taken her up on it!
LikeLike
Had I been in a big rush, I might have accepted her offer (after all, I did only have three items…). But I could tell she ‘needed’ the time more than I did, so I was happy to let her continue on. I was truly just delighted that she even offered in the first place. 🙂
LikeLike