“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”

—Archbishop Desmud Tutu

I still believe in the goodness of the human heart. 

Today the pharmacist at Walgreen’s, who doesn’t know me from Adam, went out of his way to help me with my prescription. I watched him call my doctor, then my insurance company, and again my doctor again until he was successful. As I pulled my car away from the window, I stopped, backed up, and said, ‘Your kindness meant a lot to me.” 

This Tuesday, I received a surprise gift in the mail from my friend Anne. It is a beautiful turquoise and red heart necklace with the word hope embroidered in beads on the front and back. Her kindness lit me all up. I have been sporting my hope talisman everywhere.

Last Thursday I hit a wall in my physical therapy for my broken shoulder. Jorge, my physical therapist, reached out to his other client determined to help me. Big surprise, it was George Kittle, the famous tight end for the San Francisco 49ers! When Jorge told him my story he brought over his own personal high power direct current machine to try to help me, a stranger. The difference it made in my healing is near miraculous. I left him a note: Dear George, I will never forget your kindness.” 

The “tweets” and doomsday 24/7 news is not telling the whole story. There are good, intentional people everywhere. They will surprise you with their generosity. Beneath the noise, people are good to one another. Kindness is very much alive and well in our world. But we are not talking about it enough. 

My response is to call out the goodness I receive and pass it on. Generous humans going out of their way (like good samaritins) to be kind makes me want to do cartwheels. Hello, Hope!

Paraphrasing William Wordsworth, “The best portion of a good man or woman’s life is his or her’s little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.”  

This week when you receive or are a witness to a gesture of kindness, call it out!! “Your kindness means the world.” “I saw what you just did. Thank you!” “You went out of your way for me. I am truly grateful.” “Because of your kindness, you turned my day around for good.” Prepare for the domino effect! 

#HumanKind