She wanted to share a story, she wrote, that “shows the genuine kindheartedness of him, even at that young age and stage of his life.” He was about 28.


What struck me is that Tim’s small act of kindness — something he can barely recall — was one this woman held on to for more than 21 years.


If we figure that what we do or say in the normal course of a day doesn’t really matter, we are so wrong.


Who among us can’t remember being on the receiving end of someone’s kindness from years-gone-by, or even from this past week? In a flash, those memories feed us, carry us and sustain us.


41 years ago: The man down the street who bought two boxes of Girl Scout cookies and then said, “I want you to take them home to share with your brothers and sisters.”


36 years ago: The eighth-grade English teacher — recognizing the anxiety of a homely, socially awkward girl who was moving out-of-state — who promised the girl she’d be an asset to her new community. (He knew the girl would have to pull out the dictionary to understand “asset.” Could he have imagined that, in her adulthood, the dictionary would be flipped open daily as she aimed to be such?)


25 years ago: The supervisor who, despite working a full-time job and tending to the needs of her own family, spent hours in the evenings piecing together a child’s quilt — and then serving as a party shower hostess — for her assistant who was expecting a first baby.


13 years ago: The friend who made and delivered a hamloaf and side dishes, so that one who was shaken by the phone call announcing a younger brother’s death would not have to think about cooking for her family that night.


Seven years ago: A stranger in a hallway who reached over to touch the arm of a mom in anguish, encouraging her to “hang in there.”


Last year: An 87-year-old man who, despite his Pennsylvania-Dutch reserve, left a telephone message for his daughter-in-law, just to let her know how much he loves her.


Last month: An Ephrata pastor who, despite his enormous list of responsibilities, took the time to type a letter that said, among other things, it’s OK to question.


This past week: The young woman at the fuel stop who noticed another person was in a hurry and waved her ahead toward the cashier. The co-worker who extended an invitation for an after-work glass of wine. The husband who washed the kitchen floor while his wife spent an hour at the rec center...


That woman who wrote from Lititz did a kind thing, sharing her story about my husband’s good heart; and she bolstered what I’ve believed all along:


Kind people are the best kind.




Anne Koenig is editor of the Living section. She can be contacted at 291-8690 or, via e-mail, akoenig@lnpnews.com..500 blog comments powered by Disqus