the gesture

I walked into the house after a long day. My husband and kids had run in before me and were excited that we had received some real mail.

Christmas cards. Our favorite.

There was one addressed to me. I eagerly tore open the envelope to reveal a beautiful, glittery card chosen with me in mind. The simple message was so beautiful and meant so much. There was a gift card tucked inside so that I could get a treat. My eyes filled with tears.

We are sort of new friends, so this was a very sweet, unexpected act of kindness. I'm sure she hoped it would brighten my day, but I'm also sure she didn't know just how much it would mean to me. I'm sure she didn't know it would touch my heart this much, and make me smile each and every time I see it.

A simple gesture.

My friend was able to show me that she cares. She was intentional about making me feel special and lifting me up. A simple gesture can go a long way.

I got to thinking about just how much the little gestures impact my day to day. A lovely text or message from a friend. A coffee or treat. A hug. To feel noticed. Appreciated. To know someone thought of me. If these acts of kindness mean so much to me, I'm sure they do to others as well.

Everyone is so rushed. Especially this time of year. I could go on and on about all the "stuff" that could keep me from reaching out. But, there will always be "stuff" and there will always be somewhere to rush to. I just try to remember that no matter what is going on, I can always do SOMETHING.

I can do something, and hope that it brings a smile and warms a heart. I can hope, that even if it's a small gesture, that maybe it can save a day from being lousy. Maybe it can make someone feel less alone. Maybe the simple gesture can go a long way.

Today I was able to be a little less rushed and a little more intentional. Reflecting back on my day, I was amazed that I was able to offer quite a few simple gestures, that hopefully showed love to others and made their day a little brighter.

- At the grocery store I bought a friend's favorite candy. It reminds me of her and I want to give it to her the next time I see her. I also bought a magazine for a friend that's been spending all of her time in her father's hospital room. It was a couple of dollars that can maybe give her mind a needed break for a couple of minutes.

- At the drive-thru window, the cashier dropped my gift card outside the window, onto the ground. She felt so bad, but I smiled and said it was totally fine (even though it was raining). I got out of the car to get the gift card, and noticed there was quite a bit of money on the ground, so I picked up a bunch of the coins and put them in the donation box.

- At Hobby Lobby, the customer behind me was purchasing some big ticket items without a coupon (noooooo)! I stayed through his transaction so that I could show the cashier the coupon on my phone and save the customer some money.

- At Kohls, I noticed a woman looking at a particular scarf for quite a long time. I fought the urge to go about my business, and commented that it was a good choice. She was so happy to talk. She talked to me about her gift exchange, and scarves, and material, and texture, and thread, and return policies for quite some time. But she was lovely, and it was ok to give her that time.

- After all the errands were finally over and dinner was overdue, I passed a car pulled over on the side of the road with the hood up. It was dark and raining, and I had three kids in the car. Plus, you can never be too careful. I drove on towards home, but decided to loop around and pull close to the car to get a good look. I rolled down my window and saw it was a younger driver. She rolled down her window and I asked if she was ok. She smiled and said she was ok and waved. I felt better that I asked. I've been in that position, and even when I don't need the help, it's nice to be offered.

I share these not to boast or convey that I've got it all together. Rather, I share these to show how easy it is to reach out and show kindness. Besides a couple of dollars for the grocery store treats, it cost me nothing but a little time to just be kind. If I only pay attention, I notice there are such easy things that I can do to engage with someone and hopefully be a light.

Maybe these acts won't change someone's whole day, but maybe they WILL. They sure changed mine.

I want to notice my family. I want to notice my friends. I want to notice my community. When I take the time to notice, opportunities to help are so easily spotted. A little gesture may just be a BIG deal to someone.