Let's face it. The news is particularly dismal right now. Between another world famous shooting and the oddity of the US politics, it seems like ego is running rampant over our world.
After last weeks post, I decided to make an effort to look around the world to see if Kindness existed at all or had the sun really gone out of our human interactions.
Here's what I found:
1. Our post office is located next to the Open Door Fellowship church. Last Saturday, I saw a man, clearly a professional barber, cutting the hair of the young homeless men. The young men were so embarrassed that we even noticed them there. As for the barber, he didn't even look up. Head after head, he trimmed the unkempt into nice, shape. I never saw money exchanged. I seriously doubt the young men had anything more than then clothing on their backs and a few possessions in their backpacks. I was blown away by the barbers gesture toward these young men. What I loved about this act of kindness was that it didn't require a ton of effort on the barber's part and it made a huge difference in these young men's lives. The barber gave them exactly what they needed and a little hope on the side.
2. We went to Runner's Roost last Saturday afternoon to get new shoes for the husband and for me. I'm attempting to learn how to Chi Run. (Emphasis on attempting). We went to the shoe area and the husband met a male salesperson. I was helped by a wonderful woman. I told her my dilemma - basically, I don't know anything about all the new neutral shoes. She nodded, asked me my shoe size, then asked me to walk back and forth. She disappeared in the back. She came out with the shoes I'm currently wearing and everything down to the most minimal shoe. She spent about a half hour explaining the shoes to me - how they worked, what they were made out of, and how I should try them. When I'd finally picked my new shoes (Brooks PureFlow if you're keeping track), she told me she works as a nurse at Craig Hospital. Of course, I had a billion questions for her about whether body exoskeletons were right for Denver Cereal's Honey. She was super nice, seriously awesome. Runner's Roost is a busy place and the sales people work on commission. She didn't need to spend all that time with me. I was very grateful she did. (And more to come on exoskeletons and Honey!)
3. The husband rides his bike to the bus, then rides from the bus to work. Last week, he saw a woman fall on the bike path. He was the only person on the busy Boulder bike path to stop to help her. He gave put Neosporin on her wounds and gave her some Advil. More than anything, he stayed with her until she agreed to call someone. When her husband and son came, he left, so we don't know the end of the story. From his description, she either had a stroke and fell or hit her head hard enough to be really out of it. Luckily, they were on their way to the hospital.
4. I saw signs of love every where I went. From the sunflower in the photo, planted via our sunflower project, to a pair of old, toothless Native Americans holding hands and laughing as they walked down the street to this heartwarming story of marriage and love in New York City. I even started a little project of writing on the sidewalks. Simple things like "YOU ARE LOVED".
5. My friend Robyn spent countless hours going through our websites to help come up with a plan to remodel, combine, and create a cohesive identity. I was blown away by her generosity and incredible kindness.
I could go on and on.
Like flowers growing in the cracks of the cement that is this crazy time, kindness and love are there - and growing into enormous trees ready to break up the concrete of ego and competitiveness.
We only have to look for them. What are you looking for?
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