It was just a normal day at work for me. Summer had just started and the campus was not as busy and buzzing as it usually was. My shift was coming to an end when a random patron came walking past me, smiles and all. I greeted him with the usual greeting I give to everyone, and he replied with a "hello, how are you this evening?" followed by a funny statement. I can't exactly remember what he said, but it made me laugh, which made him smile even wider. He waved and proceeded to make his way to Starbucks.
After he left, I straightened up my desk and threw away trash around my area. All of a sudden, the man appeared before me once again, but this time he placed something in front of me. He didn't explain much, but he said, "Because you smiled and made me smile, this is for you. Have a nice evening." I was taken aback, and I honestly didn't understand what was happening so I just said, "thank you," and he smiled and waved as he walked up the stairs. I picked up the little card that was in front of me and realized that this man, a random patron that I spoke to for not even two minutes, gave me a Starbucks gift card. This was all because I smiled at him and it made him smile.
We're taught to be nice to others and to treat others the way that we would want to be treated. It's a lifestyle that we tend to grow up with and begin to apply to our lives from a young age. We don't know what a person may be dealing with throughout their everyday lives, so performing random acts of kindness could greatly make someone's day. Sometimes we get caught up in our own daily lives that we forget that other people may be going through rough or tough times and need that one small moment to have their day make a complete 180-degree turn.
Whether you know the person or it is a stranger that you only met five minutes ago, doing a kind thing--holding the door open, complementing them, saying "hello" and asking how they are--can do so much more than you think. You could even go as far as sitting with someone who is by themselves and keeping them company--of course, make sure you ask first before sitting down. Either way you do it, you'll feel good that you performed these kind acts and I'm sure the person receiving will be forever grateful.
