Soles of a Mom

So Mother’s Day was a success.   Low key and quite the way I like it to be.  I’m not into the big hoopla or going out to dinner.  I got up all the kiddies still asleep and ran a 5k “Run Like a Mother”, in Ridgefield CT.   I got a cool tee-shirt in my goodie bag which I sported yesterday and a rose at the finish line.  My time was pretty good 24:54, for a hilly course, 177th out of 1123 runners and 48th out of 271 for my age group of females 40-44.  When I got home we planted a berry patch.   Three big blueberry plants, 2 gooseberries and 1 pink currant.  These coupled with our black raspberries will be great mid summer.  I’ll let you know how that goes later in the season.   But I generally did nothing all day, which was very pleasant.  Ahhhhhh. 

However, this morning it was back to reality.  I had to get the little ones shipped off to school, my car needed to go to the shop for maintenance and I stopped into work for 2 hours for a meeting.  But on my way to work I stopped at a Starbuck’s for coffee.  As I was walking in some nice gentleman opened the door for me.  Technically he should have been first in line but he let me order.  When I went to pay I looked at the cashier and said “I’ll buy his coffee too”.  He looked stunned.  “Why?” he asked.  I said “No reason, just do it for someone else someday”.  He was grinning from ear to ear and he told the girl who handed him his coffee “Wow- I feel special”.  I just turned and walked out, also sporting a big smile. 

I was thinking in the car how little actions like that are few and far between now a days.  People are so afraid to approach people and step outside of their comfort zone.  That simple act of buying his coffee could have changed the perspective on his whole day.  Maybe his morning was terrible and this perked it up or maybe it added a light-hearted lift to his day.  I’ll never know, but I got a big smile and it made me feel good too.  Now I’m  not saying you have to buy someone a two dollar cup of coffee.   In fact there are many random acts of kindness that we can do each and every day.  You could write an encouraging note to someone you know may need a pick me up and pop it in the mail or help someone at the grocery store.  Let someone in line go in front of you if they only have 2 items and you have 15.  It doesn’t take much hold a door and give a smile.  There is a whole website dedicated to Random Acts of Kindness.  Our children emanate what we do.  Let’s show them that random acts of kindness are what can make the world a beautiful place. 

Happy Monday!