The local market gives each person who purchases $25 a small item as a thank you - a melon, grape tomatoes, flowers. As the woman in front of me was finishing checking out the cashier told her that she could choose a bunch of tulips as her free item since she had spent more than $25. The woman looked at the tulips, looked at her cart filled with lillies she was purchasing and then looked at me with my one item. She spoke to the cashier and said she really didn't need them since she had already purchased flowers, could she give them to me. In a small 30 second exchange she was able to brighten my day and make me feel special. She didn't need to take the time to look around and offer to someone else. She could have done what so many others would have done and just simply said no thank you. Instead she embraced the moment and offered kindness and generosity to a perfect stranger.
As I left the store and continued on with other errands I kept going back to this simple act of kindness by a stranger. She was fully present in the moment and chose to give to someone else. How often are we wrapped up in the past or the future that we miss the present moment and an opportunity to shine out and brighten someone's elses day.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
~ Maya Angelou
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