Small Kindnesses are Better than Promising Words

I used to have a friend who seemingly was a very caring woman. She'd offer to extend kindnesses that made you feel ever-so-special. She'd tell you what she'd like to do for you . . .

But she never seemed to follow through.

After suffering through a few bouts of disappointment, I moved on -- all the wiser for my naivety. But also all the wiser for being careful of what I offer.

Being nice takes more effort than offering kind words.

I've discovered that often it's the small kindness that have meaning for me. I truly appreciate when someone holds a door for me or shares some excess from a summer garden. I have a friend who buys books by authors she knows at second-hand stores and either gives them away or leaves them to be picked up. As an author, that's a blessing. It's like a personal introduction to a new reader.

A few years ago my children were talking about things that they appreciated from their childhood. My youngest daughter recalled an incident when there was a book swap at school. She selected one of her favorite books for the project. Within an hour she had book-swapper's remorse. After lunch she rushed to the book room to find her book before someone else claimed it. She was too late. That night, cried herself to sleep.

The next day she when she returned home from school, her favorite book was sitting on her bed. After she'd gone to school, I bought another copy to replace the one she gave away. This small consideration meant the world to her, and she still remembers how happy and loved she felt to have that book again. But the thing is, I don't remember this incident at all. It was a small deed to me, but it meant the world to her.

We often don't realize how a small kindness, a simple deed, will impact someone. All it takes is a little consideration and a few moments of your time. It's worth it. And you never know what it might mean to someone else.