Re: Do something nice for someone

hippeesandee...What a wonderful story!!! I absolutely love doing nice things for
other people. Most times, the person is so surprised and so appreciative. And
many time, I do things that the recipient doesn't even know where the act of kindness came from. But I still get a thrill...just knowing...that soon they will
find their 'surprise'...or whatever it was.

We're retired...I'm 60, my husband is 61 and when he first retired almost 4 years
ago...he was telling me that since we work so hard around our little place in the
country..I needed to find a 'hobby'. :-) We had company/family here when he said
that and our married daughter spoke up and said, "Mom HAS a hobby, dad, it's helping
people." WOW...what a compliment!
And I absolutely do love doing things...even anonomously for people. I even have
what I call my 'gift station' in an upstairs bedroom. It's a desk with little gifts, gift bags, tissue paper, tulle (I like tulle bows)...just so many things...
I can run up there on any given day and throw a gift bag together for any one...any
age or gender in a matter of 2 minutes or less. I LOVE doing that! And I keep my
gift station fully stocked at all times.

In the summer...I plant a huge flower garden with zinnias so when I need to make
a hospital visit for the church...I can take a big garden bouquet...instead of sending something from the florist. I always put my bouquets in a big quart fruit
jar...and add a big tulle bow.

I was a stay at home mom for 30 years...then our youngest (the daughter) married
and I realized I had 7 years at home alone until my husband retired...so I went to
work at the local Hobby Lobby as full time cashier. I loved being cashier and having contact with all the people daily. And was even made head cashier because
of my ability to keep things organized and deal with problems that came up. But
one day our manager came to the front and she said, "The bride of Satan is in the
fabric department :-) now when she comes to the front, page me immediately because
she evidently had a bottle of beer and a roll of barbed wire for breakfast :-)
and she is ready to kill...so I don't want 'anyone' dealing with her but me." I said, "Well now I'm pretty good at dealing with people...I think I can handle her."
But the manager said, "NO! You call ME!" Well, I had seen the manager deal with
people in the past...and her disposition wasn't the greatest in the world anyway...
so I watched for the woman to come to the front...The manager had said, I couldn't
miss her...as she was dressed all in black...with a big black hat. The store was
really busy and the other cashiers had lines...so I just fiddled around a few minutes until I saw her coming...then I jumped in my station and called out to her...I said, "Hi mam, I'm having kind of a bad day...so come on over here to my
register & cheer me up." She looked at me funny..and came on over. She seemed to
calm down immediately...and we chatted a bit while I rang her up....the transaction
couldn't have gone more smoothly...and when she walked away...she said, "I hope
your day turns around for you and ends up being a good day." :-)

Another time...Early on a Monday morning...a very elderly couple came in and
she had bought 3 cards of buttons for $1. As they came to my register...they
looked so cute...he was in an old suit and even had an old dress hat on...she had
on an old house dress with a sweater and a scarf...and they were so short and
cute. But he was giving her down the road because she only needed one card of
buttons but bought 3 because they were 3 for $1. You could tell she was really
hurt at the way he was talking to her...so I just said, "HOLD ON!!!" I asked the
man..."How long have you guys been married?" And the old man said, "Sixty Three
years." So I reached across my counter and put my hand on each of their shoulders
and turned them toward each other. I said to the old man, "Do you remember how
much you loved this woman when you married her 63 years ago?" He seemed shocked
but grunted a yes...I said, "Well, look deep into her eyes...because that sweet
little girl you married 63 years ago is still in there...and YOU are eating her
up alive because she bought 2 extra cards of buttons for 33 cents each! Now does
THAT REALLY make good sense to you?" He got very teary eyes and so did she...
he paid for her buttons and put his arm around her and they waddled out the door...
WOW!!! What a Kodak moment. I had so many things liek that happen...I even got to
where I'd carry a camera. :-)

I leave a little gift with our tip at every restaurant we go to...whether it's
Outback or Steak & Shake...they all work long hard hours...and have to deal with
some really unbearable people. I don't want 'us' to be one of them. I leave a
gift 'bag' at every motel we stay at when we're on the road...for our housekeeper.
What a yucky job to have to clean up after people....I also tidy our room...wipe
up the bathroom...tidy the bed....I know she still has to 'clean' it...but it
'looks clean' when she walks in the door....makes her job a little easier, I hope.
Plus they always find that gift bag of neat little things...and a note on the
end of the bed...just for them.

The opportunities are out there...if we'd only open our eyes and look around us.
We had a 'Random Act Of Kindness Forum' that started up a while back...but I don't
think it went over. Someone posted that if people posted it would look like they
were bragging and had huge egos....nonsense....people who actually take the time
to do extra nice things for people are NOT ego people....ego people are people who
only think of themselves. A person who consistently performs random acts of kindness doesn't have room in their life for an ego...they're too busy being nice. :-) That person...probably just didn't have anything nice to post...because
they're probably not the kind of person that would do for others. I think the
forum would be wonderful if it got going good...because it would give us all ideas
of things we could do for others. And that's always a 'good' thing! :-)

Loved your post hippeesandee...wonderful story! kathryn Tweet