On A Serious Note

This is gonna be kinda serious, but I want to tell you about something that happened to me & why I think it's important to smile when you make eye contact with a stranger. It doesn't cost you a thing.

The other day, when I was waiting for my sister to finish her therapy session, I was sitting across from two ladies - one elderly, one 30-ish. The rehab where my sister goes is for people who've suffered strokes, blindness, amputations (like my sister, a double leg amputee), etc. The other patients are of all ages, races and backgrounds. The two ladies I saw this day seemed to be speaking in an eastern European language. The younger woman seemed concerned and caring in her attitude toward the older lady - the way a daughter would be. She paid very little attention to the me or the other people. The older lady seemed a little nervous and overwhelmed. She kept looking around at everything and she sneaked a lot of glances at me.

Let me mention now that I was the only black person in the waiting area. At first, I wanted to be offended. I was thinking stuff like, "What, you never saw someone so dark before?" And I thought about staring back. Then I realized how childish I was being. So I smiled, nodded and said, "Hi." The woman smiled back, very shyly and nodded back without saying anything. The younger lady looked away from the television to glance at me. She looked at her mother, said something I couldn't understand, then went back to watching television.

I went back to my magazine or whatever and then I left to use the restroom. When I came back, the two ladies had left the waiting room. An hour or so later, the two of them came out of the therapy room followed by my sister. I was too busy gathering my sister's coat and purse and such to pay the other women much attention until I felt someone touching my arm. I turned around and there was the old lady. She smiled at me and, coached (I guess) by the younger woman whispering to her, she carefully announced, "Goodbye. I will see you."

"Bye," I said. "See you later."

She nodded and smiled and went away chattering to her companion.

So, you are saying, "Yeah, so what?"

Nothing. I just wanted to share that with you because it reminded me of what my mother tried to teach me about being kind. She had the idea that you should be kind even to strangers because you never know what your kindness (or lack of) might mean to someone. Basically, Mom realized that some people are going through their days stressed out, depressed - whatever - and that small kindnesses can make such a big difference. I have no idea what that lady from therapy is going through. She has no idea what I and my sister have been through. It doesn't matter. We shared smiles and common human courtesy of acknowledging each other without malice. That's huge.

So, please share your smiles. Lord knows there is enough misery and meanness and hatred and ignorance out there in the world. Times are hard & people are hurting. A smile may not do much, but I doubt it can do harm.

**getting off soapbox**

That's all.