Random acts of Kindness…..

The smallest act of kindness is greater than even the greatest of intentions- Oscar Wilde

Early in the morning on the 4th  of July I got a call from my friend Julie. She walks her dog past the same office building nearly every day. A while ago, she noticed that the person with the desk closest to the window had a small dry erase board, and each day, he’d write a thought-provoking quote. She began to look forward to reading them. Over time, she realized she wasn’t the only one. Others paused to read, too. No one said anything out loud, but there was a sense of shared appreciation - a little bit of wisdom offered freely, anonymously, and consistently.

Julie  said she’s a believer that small, thoughtful things like that can have a big impact - even if the person behind them never knows. So she purchased a copy of Food for Thought for  the man behind the window. A stranger she’d never spoken to, but who had added something quietly valuable to her morning walks. 

One day, she caught his eye through the window, held up the book, and gestured toward the door. He came out, a little confused, and she handed it to him. “You may not realize this,” she said, “but a lot of people stop to read your quotes. My friend wrote this book, and I thought you might enjoy a copy.” He thanked her, and that was that.

Julie avoided walking past for a couple of days - just in case he thought she was a stalker. But on this Saturday morning, she did. And there it was: the book, held up on the whiteboard with four magnets. Next to it, the quote he had chosen:

 “The smallest act of kindness is greater than even the greatest of intentions.”

 And below that, he had written:
 

“Thank you.”

We never know how far our words - or our kindness - can reach. But every once in a while, life lets us see the ripple. For that I am incredibly grateful.