Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
-- Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5
I have to think about this, because nothing special actually comes immediately to mind. I did want to comment on your photography comment that taking a photo of the moon is one of the most difficult of all shots...you need a telephoto and a tripod and lots of patience!! With a regular camera just look for light and shadows that catch your eye and start with those if you are doing scenery.
A man I knew offered me a ride home, when he realized I could not possibly carry the things I had bought on the city bus. Sweet man. He died at age 66 after liver surgery. I miss him.
When my youngest daughter was in elementary school and I was a single mom the mother of her best friend helped me in so many ways.... many small acts of kindness that taught me the difficult lesson of letting someone do more for me than I could ever repay.
I had an especially trying week at work and the children were wearing me down. We came dragging in the house from a big day with no energy left and found an amazing home cooked meal on the table, compliments of my best friend and neighbor Pat. She often showed us those small acts of kindness.
We experienced some car trouble on our honeymoon and had to leave the vehicle at the mechanics over night. We were able to get a ride back to the resort some 50 miles away. The next day, when we went to the main desk to inquire about finding transportation back, the woman at the desk handed us her car keys. A few years later, Mike drove a stranded hiker who was outside the shop the 50 miles back to his car in her memory.
Too many to count, I have been given more than my share of grace. The evening my ex husband told me he was leaving my babysitter's mother took my daughter for the weekend giving me the space to weep.
Tabor Well your comment is an act of kindness because I had no idea it took so much effort to photograph the moon. Now I will feel much better going forward and just enjoy the photographs of others.
gigihawaii That was indeed a friendly act. It reminded me of a stranger who gave my friend and me a ride after a car accident. We had left the scene to go call for help and when we returned the ambulance had arrived and taken the other girls to the hospital. This man in a yellow VW offered us a ride and we went with him and thankfully he was not a kidnapper. He wasn't even local, just passing through on the interstate highway.
Jeanie Like you, I could never have made it raising my children as a single mom without the help of my friend Pat (you knew as Patty Elliott) and my family.
Granny Annie This is a much better comment than the first one you made:)
Olga Now there is an example of paying it forward! How nice.
My mom got me a John Romain purse out of the blue when I was in 9th grade or so. It wasn't my birthday or anything. I think their money was tight and so I was always wearing hand-me-downs from my older sister. So a gift like this was truly astounding and I still have it in an old trunk. I treasured it that much. Sometimes I would get overlooked (as a middle child, that sometimes happens and I think my mother realized the value of a gift such as this and how much it would mean to me.)
Oh, there are so many...but I remember once, when I was six months pregnant with my second child, driving home from work on a rainy night and one of the tires went flat. Resigned, I prepared to change it (I had two brothers who insisted I learn how to do car things) and a man screeched to a halt, totally upset that I was even THINKING of changing the tire in "my condition". I told him I was pregnant, not ill. He said, "Doesn't matter. You're carrying another life and don't need to add to your burden." Yeah, I still remember that man. He set about changing the tire in record time.
Lynn Why haven't I guessed that you are a middle child. You, like my sister, are an angel and you have had to be. So happy your mother did that for you.
Talon It is no wonder you remember that man. Hopefully that would still happen today. It will always be a condition that should warrant special treatment. And yes, I am a feminist but still....jus sayin'...
I must be spoiled. I am having trouble of thinking of just one kind act to single out for mention here that would qualify as "simple". I am the recipient every day of so many generous smiles, doors held open for me, thoughtful people asking after my well-being if I look tired, etc. I am grateful for all of them!
Oh this is a hard one. I have received so many acts of kindness in my life it is hard to pick one, and none of them have ever been "small" to me. The first that came to mind was one Christmas someone did the most amazing thing for my family. The most fun thing ever! I was divorced, 4 kids in elementary school and middle school and on a very tight budget. Someone gave us the "twelve days of Christmas." The first gift came just after dark when someone rang the doorbell and we found a huge piece of tree branch with a pear tied to it and a note. I kept all the notes for years but have since lost them, but each gift was a twist on the song (ten lords a-leaping was 10 beautiful socks). We never knew who our benefactor was, but it gave us the best Christmas ever. The last gift was a party in a box---snacks, goodies, soft drinks-- it was just an awesome Christmas.
I was in a flood and a group of Mennonites who lived close by came to my door and offered to clean the almost destroyed, mud soaked house for free. Why it qualifies as a small act is that is how they thought of it. It was not a big thing for them, it was just what people do. I will never forget the act nor them.
What a great question! So many...but what popped into my mind immediately was a time that we had literally just walked out the door at my college dorm when it started pouring. Two people coming back at exactly the same time gave us their umbrellas - to keep.
We'd never met before.
Then when we came back, it was still pouring, and we gave them to the next people we saw coming outside.
Hello Annie There is one 'act of kindness' I'll never forget. Not long after we arrived in Australia we made friends (or rather were befriended) with/by a slightly older couple who had children the same age as our oldest two. Things were a bit hard for a couple of years and after mentioning to Beryl our stove wasn't working too well and being gas I was worried over the safety aspect and we'd need to buy a new one - without batting an eyelid she said 'have the one we've just had taken out, there's nothing wrong with it. It's down in the shed, take it home and get it installed' They had done a kitchen reno and because everything else was new they replaced the stove as well. Saved us a fortune and lasted for quite a few years after that. We still see Beryl (widowed now) and I treasure her as a friendly older sister. Take care Cathy
When I was a graphic designer I used to ride a moped everywhere. I had an accident and my portfolio fell off the bike and all my artwork was thrown around over the road and I was a little shaken up. A woman stopped in her car and asked me where I lived. I told her and she picked up all my artwork, which was of course very valuable to me, and took it all home for me and left it outside my front door. I didn't know her and I've never seen her since but I'll never forget how kind that was. The house wasn't even that easy to find.
I was once asked what I did for a living and I said "I'm just a waitress." The lady who asked said "Oh honey, you're not JUST anything. Be proud of who you are!" I still try to remember that in times of insecurity.
This is a great question. I came from Talon's site and can tell I will enjoy your site.
For me, it was a man who used to carpool us to school. He was the father of this guy I had a terrible crush on and he knew it.
Unfortunately, I was gawky young girl -- thin, with braces on her teeth and not often noticed by the boys at a time I wanted to be.
This man used to make me feel really good about myself. Mind you he wasn't weird or anything like that. He was just a kind man who took time to talk to me.
He died a few years ago. I heard about it via a high school email and actually cried, even though I haven't seen him in over thirty years. You never know how long a simple kindness can last.
i was 7 or 8 and a young black student stopped and talked to me about how he was going to college to be a doctor. It may not seem to be an act of kindness, but in a separated world of black and white, it did wonders for my outlook on all people!
Lynn As the youngest sibling, I think I always felt guilty for getting by with so much while my poor older sister (middle child) carried the most responsibility. She still does and will always be my care giver whether I want her to be or not. lol
Sparkling Red It does sound like you are indeed blessed.
Aunt Betsy The twelve days of Christmas gifting sounds so neat. Makes me want to do that for somebody.
Arkansas Patti My husband was a Mennonite as a child and I truly believe it played a big part in molding him into the man he was. There was not a soul in need that he would not help and never ever expected any form of payment for his help. It was just a natural thing to do. How fortunate you were that they found you.
Birdie That was a huge thing. How wonderful.
Riot Kitty If those umbrellas could talk, I'm guessing they could tell stories about many future travels that day.
Cathy Wow, that was a treasure find if there ever was one. The stove of course but the new friendship more so.
LL Cool Joe I love knowing your art work made it home safely. What about you? How did you get home?
heartinhand My post today is inspired by this comment. We all need to remember to be proud of who we are.
Brighid No, not the stupidest! I'm guessing he would call it the kindest thing that you said yes.
Elephant's Child So true. Kindness is often the very serendipity we are needing.
Sara Thank you for visiting. Love your treasured memory. Yes, those kind words last a lifetime and there is nothing a teenage girl needs more than assurances to make her feel good about herself.
Hudson Howl They say a daughter gets her self esteem from her father and a son from his mother. Sounds like you mother did a good job with you. Thanks for visiting.
Brite Mist That is an interesting kindness. Was it because he was black or because he was an older student paying attention to you? Regardless it stuck in your memory as something good.
cube Amen! You are fortunate.
Pat Well hooray, it pays to be British:) How nice of them.
I was young and new in Illinois. I also wasn't white or Catholic, but our older neighbor invited me to her church. She then proceeded to introduce me to her friends, put her arms on my shoulder and said, "This is my friend, Kay. Please be kind to her or you'll have to answer to me." She said it jokingly, but they all knew she meant it. They were all very kind to me and Mrs. M was my dear friend until she passed away.
I have to think about this, because nothing special actually comes immediately to mind. I did want to comment on your photography comment that taking a photo of the moon is one of the most difficult of all shots...you need a telephoto and a tripod and lots of patience!! With a regular camera just look for light and shadows that catch your eye and start with those if you are doing scenery.
ReplyDeleteA man I knew offered me a ride home, when he realized I could not possibly carry the things I had bought on the city bus. Sweet man. He died at age 66 after liver surgery. I miss him.
ReplyDeleteWhen my youngest daughter was in elementary school and I was a single mom the mother of her best friend helped me in so many ways.... many small acts of kindness that taught me the difficult lesson of letting someone do more for me than I could ever repay.
ReplyDeleteI had an especially trying week at work and the children were wearing me down. We came dragging in the house from a big day with no energy left and found an amazing home cooked meal on the table, compliments of my best friend and neighbor Pat. She often showed us those small acts of kindness.
ReplyDeleteWe experienced some car trouble on our honeymoon and had to leave the vehicle at the mechanics over night. We were able to get a ride back to the resort some 50 miles away. The next day, when we went to the main desk to inquire about finding transportation back, the woman at the desk handed us her car keys.
ReplyDeleteA few years later, Mike drove a stranded hiker who was outside the shop the 50 miles back to his car in her memory.
Too many to count, I have been given more than my share of grace. The evening my ex husband told me he was leaving my babysitter's mother took my daughter for the weekend giving me the space to weep.
ReplyDeleteTabor
ReplyDeleteWell your comment is an act of kindness because I had no idea it took so much effort to photograph the moon. Now I will feel much better going forward and just enjoy the photographs of others.
gigihawaii
That was indeed a friendly act. It reminded me of a stranger who gave my friend and me a ride after a car accident. We had left the scene to go call for help and when we returned the ambulance had arrived and taken the other girls to the hospital. This man in a yellow VW offered us a ride and we went with him and thankfully he was not a kidnapper. He wasn't even local, just passing through on the interstate highway.
Jeanie
Like you, I could never have made it raising my children as a single mom without the help of my friend Pat (you knew as Patty Elliott) and my family.
Granny Annie
This is a much better comment than the first one you made:)
Olga
Now there is an example of paying it forward! How nice.
Lisa (aka Mollie's Mom)
ReplyDeleteThat was a monumental gift.
My mom got me a John Romain purse out of the blue when I was in 9th grade or so. It wasn't my birthday or anything. I think their money was tight and so I was always wearing hand-me-downs from my older sister. So a gift like this was truly astounding and I still have it in an old trunk. I treasured it that much. Sometimes I would get overlooked (as a middle child, that sometimes happens and I think my mother realized the value of a gift such as this and how much it would mean to me.)
ReplyDeleteOh, there are so many...but I remember once, when I was six months pregnant with my second child, driving home from work on a rainy night and one of the tires went flat. Resigned, I prepared to change it (I had two brothers who insisted I learn how to do car things) and a man screeched to a halt, totally upset that I was even THINKING of changing the tire in "my condition". I told him I was pregnant, not ill. He said, "Doesn't matter. You're carrying another life and don't need to add to your burden." Yeah, I still remember that man. He set about changing the tire in record time.
ReplyDeleteLynn
ReplyDeleteWhy haven't I guessed that you are a middle child. You, like my sister, are an angel and you have had to be. So happy your mother did that for you.
Talon
It is no wonder you remember that man. Hopefully that would still happen today. It will always be a condition that should warrant special treatment. And yes, I am a feminist but still....jus sayin'...
Thank you for the compliment - you are so nice to say so! I came back to read what others' said and saw that.
ReplyDeleteI must be spoiled. I am having trouble of thinking of just one kind act to single out for mention here that would qualify as "simple". I am the recipient every day of so many generous smiles, doors held open for me, thoughtful people asking after my well-being if I look tired, etc. I am grateful for all of them!
ReplyDeleteOh this is a hard one. I have received so many acts of kindness in my life it is hard to pick one, and none of them have ever been "small" to me. The first that came to mind was one Christmas someone did the most amazing thing for my family. The most fun thing ever! I was divorced, 4 kids in elementary school and middle school and on a very tight budget. Someone gave us the "twelve days of Christmas." The first gift came just after dark when someone rang the doorbell and we found a huge piece of tree branch with a pear tied to it and a note. I kept all the notes for years but have since lost them, but each gift was a twist on the song (ten lords a-leaping was 10 beautiful socks). We never knew who our benefactor was, but it gave us the best Christmas ever. The last gift was a party in a box---snacks, goodies, soft drinks-- it was just an awesome Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI was in a flood and a group of Mennonites who lived close by came to my door and offered to clean the almost destroyed, mud soaked house for free. Why it qualifies as a small act is that is how they thought of it. It was not a big thing for them, it was just what people do. I will never forget the act nor them.
ReplyDeleteWell, this was not small but it was my step-dad stating in his will that I am considered his blood child.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great question! So many...but what popped into my mind immediately was a time that we had literally just walked out the door at my college dorm when it started pouring. Two people coming back at exactly the same time gave us their umbrellas - to keep.
ReplyDeleteWe'd never met before.
Then when we came back, it was still pouring, and we gave them to the next people we saw coming outside.
So simple, but so nice.
Hello Annie
ReplyDeleteThere is one 'act of kindness' I'll never forget. Not long after we arrived in Australia we made friends (or rather were befriended) with/by a slightly older couple who had children the same age as our oldest two. Things were a bit hard for a couple of years and after mentioning to Beryl our stove wasn't working too well and being gas I was worried over the safety aspect and we'd need to buy a new one - without batting an eyelid she said 'have the one we've just had taken out, there's nothing wrong with it. It's down in the shed, take it home and get it installed'
They had done a kitchen reno and because everything else was new they replaced the stove as well. Saved us a fortune and lasted for quite a few years after that.
We still see Beryl (widowed now) and I treasure her as a friendly older sister.
Take care
Cathy
When I was a graphic designer I used to ride a moped everywhere. I had an accident and my portfolio fell off the bike and all my artwork was thrown around over the road and I was a little shaken up. A woman stopped in her car and asked me where I lived. I told her and she picked up all my artwork, which was of course very valuable to me, and took it all home for me and left it outside my front door. I didn't know her and I've never seen her since but I'll never forget how kind that was. The house wasn't even that easy to find.
ReplyDeleteI was once asked what I did for a living and I said "I'm just a waitress." The lady who asked said "Oh honey, you're not JUST anything. Be proud of who you are!" I still try to remember that in times of insecurity.
ReplyDeleteThe Cowman asked me to marry him, it was at once the kindest and stupidest thing he every did.
ReplyDeleteI have been shown so many acts of kindness - and try and return the favour. Kindness brings light into the darkest of days.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great question. I came from Talon's site and can tell I will enjoy your site.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it was a man who used to carpool us to school. He was the father of this guy I had a terrible crush on and he knew it.
Unfortunately, I was gawky young girl -- thin, with braces on her teeth and not often noticed by the boys at a time I wanted to be.
This man used to make me feel really good about myself. Mind you he wasn't weird or anything like that. He was just a kind man who took time to talk to me.
He died a few years ago. I heard about it via a high school email and actually cried, even though I haven't seen him in over thirty years. You never know how long a simple kindness can last.
Is it random when one's mother does it, if so, then too darn many to list -not a bias comment, honest.
ReplyDeletei was 7 or 8 and a young black student stopped and talked to me about how he was going to college to be a doctor. It may not seem to be an act of kindness, but in a separated world of black and white, it did wonders for my outlook on all people!
ReplyDeleteGosh, there are too many examples of what a blessed life I've led that I can't pick just one. This is too hard... thank goodness for me.
ReplyDeleteA British man and his family on the motor way in France stopping to help me with my ailing Spitfire.
ReplyDeleteHis wife said 'We couldn't leave one of our own.'
Lynn
ReplyDeleteAs the youngest sibling, I think I always felt guilty for getting by with so much while my poor older sister (middle child) carried the most responsibility. She still does and will always be my care giver whether I want her to be or not. lol
Sparkling Red
It does sound like you are indeed blessed.
Aunt Betsy
The twelve days of Christmas gifting sounds so neat. Makes me want to do that for somebody.
Arkansas Patti
My husband was a Mennonite as a child and I truly believe it played a big part in molding him into the man he was. There was not a soul in need that he would not help and never ever expected any form of payment for his help. It was just a natural thing to do. How fortunate you were that they found you.
Birdie
That was a huge thing. How wonderful.
Riot Kitty
If those umbrellas could talk, I'm guessing they could tell stories about many future travels that day.
Cathy
Wow, that was a treasure find if there ever was one. The stove of course but the new friendship more so.
LL Cool Joe
I love knowing your art work made it home safely. What about you? How did you get home?
heartinhand
My post today is inspired by this comment. We all need to remember to be proud of who we are.
Brighid
No, not the stupidest! I'm guessing he would call it the kindest thing that you said yes.
Elephant's Child
So true. Kindness is often the very serendipity we are needing.
Sara
Thank you for visiting. Love your treasured memory. Yes, those kind words last a lifetime and there is nothing a teenage girl needs more than assurances to make her feel good about herself.
Hudson Howl
They say a daughter gets her self esteem from her father and a son from his mother. Sounds like you mother did a good job with you. Thanks for visiting.
Brite Mist
That is an interesting kindness. Was it because he was black or because he was an older student paying attention to you? Regardless it stuck in your memory as something good.
cube
Amen! You are fortunate.
Pat
Well hooray, it pays to be British:) How nice of them.
I was young and new in Illinois. I also wasn't white or Catholic, but our older neighbor invited me to her church. She then proceeded to introduce me to her friends, put her arms on my shoulder and said, "This is my friend, Kay. Please be kind to her or you'll have to answer to me." She said it jokingly, but they all knew she meant it. They were all very kind to me and Mrs. M was my dear friend until she passed away.
ReplyDelete