About kindness …

Iris

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.  Aesop

My work schedule has been so disrupted in the last six weeks with other personal appointments.  When I did work, I threw myself into it to keep my mind busy.  I haven’t been taking care of my inner self and kept pushing harder.  It has come at a cost and I realised this today.  I have been short tempered and alternating between dismissive and demanding of my loved ones.  Not a good feeling!

I carried this knowledge with me all morning and my steps grew wearier by the moment.  I had to go to the shopping centre and quite spontaneously thought I’d buy some clothes while I was there.  I didn’t really need them.  Yes, the old retail therapy instant feel-good option.  But I do believe people’s paths cross for a reason and none more so than today.

When I paid at the counter, the lady asked me the usual question, “Are you with the X club”.  Another sales pitch coming on I thought with irritation, she looked up my name on the computer and then looked at me with surprise.  She asked me about my line of work.  I was guarded in my response.  Then she told me, I had done some work with her little boy and that she and her family remembered me over the years.  That was 13 years ago.  He’s a young adult now and studying towards a profession.  She told me she can still remember me because I worked with “kindness” and was “gentle” with him.  I was really touched by what she recalled and her memory was vivid.

Driving home I realised I was emotionally fatigued and what I was missing was compassion and kindness to self.  So I went out and bought some flowers.  Beautiful, vibrant, purple iris.  The flowers lifted my spirit and they are a luxury because I’m rarely home.  They will probably wilt before I return but it felt good to have them on the table.

I guess when there are no other options available to us, a little self-compassion and kindness goes a long way.  If it generates good memories for others, why can’t we remember to do this for ourselves?

Enjoy your weekend and may a random act of kindness come your way.  And, if it doesn’t you always have the option to be kind to yourself.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird

In response to Word of the Day Challenge – Options