Kindness goes a long way.

This morning on the way to work, a simple wave from a passenger in a passing truck as I sipped on my full bodied coffee, made me break into laughter and smile. It felt good, to look that stranger in the eye, and reminded me that it's okay. I can breathe. It's not so bad. As long as I have the capability to smile, as long as I am reminded that there is good in this world, it will be okay. It's funny, that simple act of spontaneity, set the tone for my day. Then of course, there was the coffee to lift my spirits even further -- yes, I did have a double dose today (more on that later, possibly). It's funny that preceding that random exchange of waves and smiles between strangers, I had been feeling a bit perturbed by the fact that my car had become a target for some large piles of snow being lifted off of the truck in front of me. The momentum of the forward movement had thrust these large snow chunks off the top of the truck trailer onto my windshield and the impact was forceful. I was afraid this falling snow might contribute to some chipped paint off my car because the snow was a bit on the icy side and the remnants were rather large. So I move to the right lane in an effort to slow down and allow that truck to proceed at a far enough distance ahead of me to get away from the flying force of the snow hurling off its trailer, when I look to my left side and see this guy waving and smiling. He was the passenger in another truck. Of course, with me being a lover of random acts of niceness, I couldn't resist returning the wave, all the while busting out laughing at the randomness of this roadway interaction and the look on his face as he kinda put his palms up, as if to say, 'Oh well, whatcha gonna do? This snow. It's got a mind of its own. We best make the most of it as we trek through it.' That's literally more or less what I got from the look. It made my day. So therein the darkness lies the light. The reminder that the good is still there in this world. It sometimes surprises me. I actually had a customer call me the other day and say I sounded surprised when he had agreed to close a deal on which we had been negotiating. I wanted to tell him that I sounded surprised because I'm so used to customers yelling and rebuffing me every step of the way. Kindness can give me quite a jolt, in a good way; therefore, I guess he mistook my inner excitement for surprise. All I can say is to keep your eye out for kindness, because it not only goes a long way to make another's day, but it perpetuates the cycle of good in this world. Don't forget that it's in you too, this greater good that sometimes you may suppress when life gets in the way. Smile. Say hi to a stranger. Compliment someone. You never know how it could turn things around, for you, for the person on the receiving end.