Random Acts Of Kindness

Tonight when I was out for my run I passed a lady in her front garden, I was all set to do the usual salute, a nod and smile, a quick hello and perhaps a comment about the lovely evening, when she surprised me by following her greeting with 'well done, keep it up, you're doing great'.
I don't know this woman but those words were such a lift, it brightened my evening no end and when I turned for home and struggled with the long slow hill back those kind, unexpected words kept me going.
It takes so very little to be kind but receiving an act of kindness can change your whole day. Recently when I was dropping my daughter off at her Montessori school, one of the lovely teachers there followed me out to tell me that I looked lovely. This was in the middle of a very busy month work wise and I was struggling to keep the juggle going, I felt like I had a permanently furrowed brow running and racing to keep up but that one comment made such a difference. It wasn't earth shattering but it doesn't have to be. That someone would take the time to say or do something nice for someone else reminds us all that people are inherently good and at times we get caught up in our own bubble and forget what a difference it can make.
On a night out with friends recently the owner of the restaurant ( whom I don't know) commented on the fact she had seen me in the supermarket with my son and overheard a conversation whereby I was explaining why we didn't need bananas and how we needed to make banana bread with the excess bananas at home, she was struck by the interaction between us and commented on how patient I was with him, she did not see how, ten minutes later, all hell broke loose and I wouldn't have even been able to spell patience never mind exercise it!!! However she saw a snapshot of our day, she thought it was lovely and she took the time to share that with me.
It cost us nothing to be kind but it can be invaluable, I think we should challenge ourselves to 'emerge from the fog' of getting through the day and think a little about the ways in which we could show a little kindness.