A Sprinkle of Kindness
Written by: Shaowda Salehin, 3rd Year English & Biology Student
This past summer, I have witnessed how deeply people care about one another despite not knowing each other. We wore our masks, sanitized and socially distanced for the safety of our vulnerable community members as well as ourselves without knowing who the strangers we took care of were. As we continue to manage our lives through the pandemic, I remind myself of how generous and kind people are to one another in the toughest of times.
Sometimes my brother and I would visit our neighbourhood convenience store while on our daily walks and on one of these visits, I forgot my card and wasn’t able to buy my brother his lollipop. He was waiting outside the store on his bike, frowning at me through the glass; disappointed and so very sad that I had ruined one of the few moments of excitement in the new monotone and boring setting of our lives. Just as I was about to release an exasperated sigh and apologize to Kim, our acquaintance and shop owner, the middle-aged man behind me paid for the lollipop along with an extra pack of gum and gummy bears. He smiled at me, I could tell from his eyes crinkling; I’m glad he couldn’t take note of my bewildered expression behind the mask. I hadn’t even seen him coming! Before I could make out a thank you, he laughed and said “I have a daughter like you! So don’t worry, I would think I am buying it for my daughter! Have a great day!” And as I profusely continued to thank him, he responded with a comforting laugh and smiled at my brother before leaving us outside the store with a handful of candy. It was one of the sweetest and most surprising moments I experienced in a while and it left me wanting to do kind things for other people. A small gesture like that left a lasting impression which later led me to buy our family accountant a coffee on a trip to the bank a few months later. Kindness is as contagious as a bright smile or burst of laughter, so be kind and smile more -- it’s a happy pill I wasn’t aware of until now!
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