Make an Impact No Matter What Your Position: Kindness in an Unlikely Place
"The most important person is the person standing right in front of you. Be Present."
Sometimes an angel of kindness finds you in an unlikely place when you really needed it more than you realized. I'm at the Brightwood Post Office in DC to send donated items for a friend's new volunteer project. I'm having one of those days. Perhaps you've had one as well, where things are just not falling into place.
After carefully choosing padded envelopes and readying the package and waiting in line, I finally reach the counter. And Georgia, the clerk, and the reason I always go to this particular post office, greets me with her usual thousand watt smile. And then she looks at my packages which are bursting at the seams and all taped up. Georgia is as kind as she is no nonsense.
She makes the Grandma tsk, tsk, tsk sound and with hand on hip says, "now, sweetie why you go and do this? You coulda just asked I coulda told you you needed a priority box, they're free, why you go spending yer money on this?" And I can't help it, I start to cry. I mutter, "it's been one of those weeks and, *sniff, snuffle*, it's only Monday."
She looks at me with real concern, "honey, sweetie, do you need a hug?" I nod my head. She tells me to go to the door.
Now picture this, there's a long line of other customers behind me. But Georgia's main concern in that moment is the person right in front of her, who in this minute is me. We can all learn from her, indeed the person right in front of you is most important in the moment, be present.
I approach the door and Georgia opens it beckoning me to enter. She then opens her arms and envelopes me in a tight hug. She's saying a prayer, "Lord, help this pretty lady turn these tears of sad into tears of glad." She's gently rubbing my back. "You're fine, it's all gonna be ok, sweetie." I hug her tightly and tell her she's the reason I always come to this post office. Her kindness and patience seem limitless. I wipe away my tears and go back out to the counter.
Georgia looks at my mess of packages and after entering the weight, destination, she just shakes her head and says, "no, I'm not gonna let ya do this." I look up a bit worried. She's now wrapping packing tape around both packages taping them securely together. (See photo above)
"Be cheaper for you this way," she says smiling. And while she finishes taping she says, "you're too pretty a lady for those tears. Be glad, honey, be glad."
I thank Georgia again for, as always, going way above and beyond the call of duty, not only with her incredibly kind gesture of her hug, but how she deeply cares for every customer.
Georgia is a shining example that one doesn't need to be in some lofty position to make an impact. She reminds us all to do whatever we do with care, love and kindness.
I ask us all to take a moment and reflect, how can we follow Georgia's example? I'd love to hear any experiences you have to share when either you acted as Georgia or someone else was kind to you. May we all be present, may we all be kind and may we reflect that kindness back to each other.
Hugs from my heart to yours,
Kristin