I'll be the first to admit that I haven't always been the best person in the world. I've made mistakes, I've been mean to people at times, and looking back, they didn't deserve it. I've made mistakes and I wasn't always the best at admitting it or apologizing, but as I get older, I realize how important it is to be kind and to make things right when you are meaner than you intend.

Story time...

I was walking in the grocery store this past week and it was crazy. I never food shop on Sundays because I call it "the day of the crazies" when it comes to groceries. It's always people running around last minute to grab things for the week and they feel that everyone is in their way and slowing them down. During this busy time, I was trying to get around an aisle and this little old man was walking slowly the other way. To me, he looked a little frazzled in the sense that everything was just a tad bit overwhelming. Now, I don't know his story or what he was thinking or how long he had been there. I know nothing about him. However, what I know is that he looked like he could use a friendly smile. So I did just that.

I kept going about my business, trying to find a checkout line that wasn't over five people deep, and I felt a tap on my arm. This elderly man shuffled all the way back across the store to thank me for smiling at him (and no, it was not in any way a creepy sense of the act). He genuinely looked at me and said, "I just wanted to say thank you because I noticed you smiled at me back there. It's a little crazy in here and I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable but it was appreciated. So, thank you and I hope you have a good day."

In that moment, I probably turned a little red and said anytime and that he didn't have to come back to say thank you. It's very busy and sometimes we can all use a friendly smile. Now, I'm not typing out this story to boast or to say look at the great thing I did! The reason I'm telling this story is the simple fact that you never know who's day you might turn around with a small act of kindness.

You never know what someone is going through. You never know what burdens people are carrying with them, what their home life is like, how others treat them regularly, if they're hurt, or anything that is going on with them. You don't know who's about to break down and cry at the next thing that goes wrong.

With that, make sure to give someone a smile today or tomorrow. Buy the person behind you coffee. Volunteer somewhere, or just go the extra mile (or step) for a friend, family member or coworker. It might not mean anything to you, but it could mean the world to them.