Small Kindnesses

[Blueruth]

Found this in a newsletter from James Clear

Small Kindnesses

By Danusha Laméris

I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk

down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs

to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”

when someone sneezes, a leftover

from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.

And sometimes, when you spill lemons

from your grocery bag, someone else will help you

pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.

We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,

and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile

at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress

to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,

and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.

We have so little of each other, now. So far

from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.

What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these

fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,

have my seat,” “Go ahead — you first,” “I like your hat.”

[Roxylox]

Lovely, the little things we don't think much about, yet any one of these little things can brighten our day

[Blueruth in reply to Roxylox]

I didn't know this:"Or how strangers still say “bless you”

when someone sneezes, a leftover

from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying."

It isn't as unique but since covid I notice people including myself saying "stay safe" instead of "see you later" or similar even when it is sunny outside. The contemporary version of "bless you".

[Hidden]

Hi Blueruth. I like your simple and sincere post about kindness without “ego bait content” designed to stroke one’s ego. Fortunately, kindness is not dead as I’m surrounded with in my daily life. Without identifying that action would lead to feeling good or bad, it’s part of our social skills of common courtesy such as: if the person behind me in the check out line only have one item, just let them go first. Or we can always lend a hand to an older lady struggling to load a 40lbs of cat littler box onto her cart. It’s not difficult and it makes a civilized society. Good read.👍 Best wishes.

[Eggshell38]

Your post went straight to my heart like a warm soothing balm"We have so little of each other, now. So far from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange."

Particularly this part, thank you for that. superb post 🤗 🌷🌞

[gerrerd]

Love love love all you need is love !

[Tara52]

Such good reminders! I went grocery shopping at 6:30 am and smiled and said a cheerful "Good Morning " to all of the weary grocery stockers I saw. They looked happily surprised and said "Good Morning " back. It was a blessing both ways!☺️