“Can you tell me which one of these is Ginger ale? Your eyes are probably better than mine!” I turned around to an older man driving his cart around the grocery store. As he adjusted the red cap on the top of his head that read “Korean War Veteran” in white letters across the rim, I smiled and placed a six-pack of Ginger ale into his cart. Pretty soon I was listening to stories about his grandchildren as we cruised down the cleaning aisle. We finished off his list, and I was about to finish my own grocery shopping when he decided he wanted to get some flowers for his wife. “She puts up with me, and I have to say that’s pretty impressive.” After that day at the grocery store, I decided that I would do one random act of kindness every day for a week. I owe it all to the stranger whose name I never learned, buying pink and purple peonies for his wife.
The next day, on the way to the hospital for the last round of shots required for traveling to India, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up some flowers. After leaving my appointment, I placed a flower and a note that read, “Have a great day, J” on twelve different cars throughout the parking lot. This was by far the most nerve-wracking idea I came up with; it felt like I was playing tooth fairy. I then sat in my car for a ridiculously long time because I wanted to see what kind of person I was cheering up. I definitely don’t regret it because I watched a mom cry when her son handed her a flower from her windshield.
Throughout the rest of the week, I made cookies for someone who was in desperate need of some sweetness and treated the man behind me in line for coffee (America does run on Dunkin, after all). I also decided that the people I appreciate in my life deserve some love, and wrote a letter to someone who made an impact on my life without ever knowing it. As the result of my challenge to myself, this week has been the best week of my summer so far. Making someone’s day does not have to involve spending your whole paycheck. It can be as simple as a compliment or doing someone a favor without having to be asked.
These random acts of kindness were also inspired by the kind soul who wrote me a note and stuck it in my locker in the eighth grade. When I returned to school and was recovering from back surgery, I had to leave math class because I was in pain. I assumed that no one noticed because I tried to sneak out, but I was (and still am) much less stealthy than I like to believe. When I went to my locker at the end of the day, there was a blue sticky note that made me realize I was not alone. “I hope your back feels better soon! Don’t worry, I hate math too.” I wish I could thank the person who wrote me that note because the knowledge that someone else had my back made me feel strong, and for a 13-year-old girl that doesn’t happen every day.
