Simple Yet Priceless Gestures of Kindness

I grew up often hearing the phrase “It is better to give than to receive”, but as a kid it just didn’t make much sense. As I got older, I started to understand the phrase and my feeling now, is that there is truly no better feeling than giving. Giving of yourself, a moment of your time, giving a hug or even a smile, simple but priceless gestures such as these could even save a life.

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing is going right for you, you’re in a bad mood but you have to get out and run your errands or other duties. At some point in your busy day a stranger tries to strike up a conversation, you give them short quick answers just to send them about their way? Eventually they win you over and you don’t realize until moments after the conversation is over that you actually feel better. That person walked away with a smile on his or her face and now you’re wearing a smile as well. Before you know it, you’re smiling at other people going about your business, they’re smiling at other people and so goes the cycle of a smile, a simple but priceless gesture.

At work one day I was on the elevator when a woman got on, she huddled in the corner sniffling and wiping tears from her red swollen eyes. I stood there watching her in uncomfortable silence for a few moments, It was obvious that there was something seriously wrong. She looked hopeless and defeated and I was feeling really bad for her. I finally said as I moved toward her “I don’t know you or what’s plaguing you at this moment but I have to give you a hug. When I reached out to her she melted right in my arms as if she were just rescued from a wreck, it was the most awesome feeling ever, we held each other in silence until the elevator stopped. When we stepped out into the lobby I told her as I reached out to hug her once again “ You’re going to get through what ever it is you’re going through, she pulled back from the embrace looking me in the eyes and simply said thank you and went about her way. I truly believe that I may have saved a life that day with just a simple gesture and a kind word.

As we go about our busy lives everyday we pass people we know and many that we don’t. We say hello, hey, hi, and we ask how are you doing? or how are you? But how many of us actually wait for the answer? How many of us really care? Do you just wave your hand or nod your head while steadily moving? People say that they’re fine all the time and many times they’re not and we would know this if we stopped and listened to the tone of his or her voice, make ourselves aware of the body language, and looked them in the face. The next time you say hello to someone and ask how they are, try waiting for the answer. Simple gestures and courtesy’s can go a long way if we make practice of these everyday. I remember a time when strangers greeted one another on the streets, people said thank you if you held a door open for them or gave way to them as they are passing. I find nowadays, when you extend a simple courtesy, people react with a sense of entitlement. We need to get back to the simple basics in life, a kind word, a thank you, a moment of your time, even a hug, these things cost you nothing, the impact they can have on another, is priceless!!