A man approached us in the Wal-Mart parking lot.
“Do you have a spare dollar or two? I just need to pay for the bus.”
Tucker immediately reached for his wallet. He handed the stranger the only cash he had: a crisp $20 bill.
The man’s face filled with surprise, then immediately fell. “I can’t take this; I really just need one.”
“Hey, man. Don’t worry about it. This is for you.” My brother enclosed the bill in the stranger’s hand and pulled his own back so the man couldn’t refuse.
Gratitude filled the man’s face as he thanked Tucker profusely. We parted ways, and I looked at my brother, awe-struck and confused.
“What? He needed it more than me.” He shrugged as he opened the car door.
This was about four years ago, but it is still as fresh in my mind as that bill was crisp. It was in this moment that I learned about the compassionate, generous mindset my brother holds and carries on his shoulders.
We don’t know if that stranger really wanted to just get on the bus, or if he wanted the money for something, anything, else. We will never know the full impact of that bill. And it doesn’t matter. My brother’s money did not go to waste, no matter what that man spent it on.
My brother paid $20 to give me the greatest lesson I have ever learned: Kindness is not costly.
It would have been easy to tell that man no, or even ignore him. It would have been easy for my brother to see that the only cash in his wallet was a large bill, and said, “Sorry, I can’t help you.” It would have been easy to leave this stranger as we found him.
But Tucker didn’t do any of that. He opened his wallet and heart and gave that man everything he could.
I doubt that man remembers my brother and me; he likely does not remember the teenagers in the Wal-Mart parking lot whose paths he crossed. In fact, I don’t think my brother remembers this man, either. You won’t remember every act of kindness you do, and not every act will be remembered by the recipients. But in the end, it’s making the world a better place one moment at a time.
Had I not shared this moment with my brother, I likely would not have started developing my own attitude into one of compassion and generosity for others. It’s not that I turned around that same day and said “I’m going to start being kind.” But looking back at it, I realize that this moment was a turning point for my attitude. I started giving more to those in need, in terms of time, money and words. I stopped placing value on money and started placing value on people.
Life is drastically better when kindness is embraced. Living a life that values people and their needs benefits yourself, the recipient of your kindness, and anyone around to watch. Loving people doesn’t require education, wealth or skills. All it takes is some time, and we all have a bit of that lying around. You always have time to do something kind, because it is a habit that weaves itself into your interactions. It shows through conversation, nods on the street, intentional random acts of kindness and overall how you interact with others. The world is changed through these moments of kindness- one person and interaction at a time.
As Ed Sheeran says in his song, “What Do I Know?”:
“Love can change the world in a moment.”
Showing love and being kind are the keys to changing this world, not holding onto what you don’t need. Even when you do give money, the benefits of kindness and love far outweigh the costs. Kindness doesn’t cost you anything – except maybe $20.
