Love, American Beautiful

In today’s world of hustle and bustle and focus on getting to the top at any cost,  we sometimes take for granted simple acts of kindness. Holding a door for someone, a smile when it looks like a bad day is brewing, or an unexpected random act that leaves a person feeling special.

I had such an experience this morning. I am the type of person who carries my emotions on my sleeve and I was having a particuarly frazzled morning this morning. I attemped to calm myself by going to Dunkin Donouts to grab a coffee. As I pulled up to the window ready to enjoy my treats, I realized that my credit card was, of course, missing. I rummaged through my purse with my face evidently looking like a disaster was currently happening and waved off my order off explaining I had no way to pay without my card. The man at the window stopped me handed me my order and said, “Merry Christmas”. My face immediately broke into a thankful smile. “Thank you so much sir, Merry Christmas,” I said as I drove away feeling like a new woman.

This one act of kindness changed my entire morning. Had I not stopped for coffee, my morning probably would have continued with the frazzled nature that it started with. Instead, from that moment, I took on a sort of “pay it forward” attitude toward my day.

He didn’t solve world hunger, he didn’t find a cure for cancer, but he brightened the day of one girl who otherwise probaly would have had a pretty awful day.

It is these small acts of kindness from complete strangers that truly makes the world go round. If we didn’t have these people to set for us an example of how mankind should treat each other, we would all end up miserable and unfulfilled. Kindness goes a long way, even when it as something as small as a free coffee.