No Expiration Date for Kindness

A Timeless Reward.

Q: What’s the Best Thing that ever Happened Because you were Nice?

A: Growing up in my house was probably like growing up in every house anywhere. There were six of us kids and we were like any siblings anywhere. We argued and made up, we teased and pranked but always, we loved each other.

What I always felt was different about our house was the constant stream of aphorisms from Mama. It always seemed like she had one for every situation.

Two quick examples:

Yelling at each other: “Mean what you say, say what you mean, but don’t say it mean.”
Leaving to go on a date: “A boy will be just as good as the girl he’s with.”

Where we heard the most aphorisms though was at the front door when we were leaving for school every morning.

Here are a couple of her favorites:

“Be nice to everyone. Remember, Everyone is Someone. You might be the only person who was nice to them all day.”

“Share your smile. There may be someone who can’t find one of their own today.”

Now, we’ll skip ahead to a 20th high school class reunion and the best thing that ever happened to me for being nice. It was the first reunion I was able to go to because I always lived so far away.

People can change a lot in twenty years and I was happy to see most were wearing name tags.

When it was time to have dinner, one of the other women at the table leaned over and said she wanted to thank me. I read her name tag but I couldn’t remember her. I asked why she wanted to thank me.

She said growing up, she had an awful home life, a poor complexion, and at school she felt invisible. Everyone ignored her, but I was one person who never did. She said she looked forward to seeing me at our lockers just before 5th period because I was the only one who ever treated her like she was anyone special.

She said sometimes we talked for a few minutes about math, sometimes about the latest football game, but always, always, I smiled and was nice to her. She just wanted me to know how much that meant to her. The rest of her school day was better and she went home to the problems there and that was even easier to face.

I felt very humbled. My thoughts turned to Mama. We had lost her to cancer, but I silently thanked her for telling us to be nice to everyone. After so many years, I was stunned to find out Mama had been right. It really did make a difference. 

Be kind to yourself today.

Poet/Writer/Author of 5 books.
Quora Top Writer 2018.
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