I was ready for the day to end and had a pretty good stride going down the school hallway.

NO!

I stood and watched as my coffee thermos bounced on the floor, leaving a six foot diameter swirl of cold brown coffee on the tile.  I closed my eyes and dropped my purse and work bag. 

SIGH.

A young man appeared from around the corner smiling.  

“I’ll get this!  Let me take care of it for you!”

One of our special education teachers, a young man in his late twenties, came to my rescue. 

“You just go on,” he told me.

I felt embarrassed and began to say it wasn’t necessary, etc.  I started to get some paper towels….

He insisted, “Don’t worry!  Let me do this!”

He couldn’t find the mop.  We were standing right by the opening of the cafeteria and he grabbed a broom and some paper towels.

“This is what I’ll do.”  He started to wipe the mess up with the make-shift mop and told me to have a good night.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I made my way to the parking lot.  I was tired.  The kids were challenging today.  And I also had a lot of other things on my mind that had been bothering me.  One act of kindness.  It was truly what I’d needed.

It’s so much easier for me to give or do something nice for someone else.  Today my bucket was completely empty.

I counted this as my ‘God Smile’ today.

I have a close friend that reminds me to look for the small ways God touches your life every day.  Sometimes it’s an encouraging text from a friend.  A stunning sunrise.  Birds singing outside my window. A dinner invitation. 

Today it was someone helping me.

That small act of kindness turned my day around.

It made me think, too.  Whatever you might have in your heart to do for someone…a kindness, an encouraging word – maybe in a text, a letter, a phone call.  You should do it.  Don’t hesitate.  I’m speaking to myself, here.  Thought you might need this motivation, also.  Sometimes I worry too much about what a person might think, or analyze things if I have the right motivation.  

Grab an extra cup of coffee for a co-worker, or take time out to stop at a friend or relative’s house on your way home from work or if you’re out running errands.

Is someone sick?  Take them some soup or buy some.  Send them a card.

Show up at someone’s door with flowers.  Just because.

When my sons were in college, I sent them care packages regularly.  Almost every time they hit the road again after a visit home I’d pack them a goodie bag.

Sometimes I’ve written letters of encouragement to people I hardly knew when I heard of hard times they were going through.

Thank you notes are almost extinct anymore.  I guarantee they can still touch the heart.

Do you have a prompting to do something nice for someone today?  Act on it.  You never know how far that simple act of kindness will take that person or how much of an impact it will be for them.  Even a smile for a stranger or asking them how their day’s been.

And most importantly, if someone reaches out in kindness to YOU, receive it.  Why take the blessing away from them?

Thank you, young man.  For reminding me today how important it is to consider others.

Those that bring sunshine to others can’t possibly keep it from themselves!

I can’t wait to bring him in some shortbread tomorrow morning.

Haven’t made any in awhile.