Random--and not-so-random--Acts of Kindness

I've been inspired this morning by two telephone conversations, one with Pam, one with Mike.

Pam shared a story with me about her mother-in-law, a woman with whom she's been close for many years, even after the former husband is no longer in the picture.  Every Sunday she writes her emails--and not just short cursory reportage, real letters.  In between she sends her postcards and pictures of her grandchildren and visits her.

This morning, the mother-in-law called.  She usually talks briefly on the phone "as if she's still being billed for long distance calls," but this morning she talked for twenty minutes, ending with "what she really called to say." Her friends are amazed that she and Pam are still close and that they communicate and visit so often.  She wanted to express her gratitude for Pam's friendship.

Years ago, Pam was visiting when the mail came--a stack of junk mail.  She resolved that day to be sure that her mother-in-law's mailbox often had real mail--and she's kept that resolution.  Pam is like that.  She's a real communicator, not a superficial one.  She reaches out generously to her people.

Mike, too.  He's spending two days helping a friend who had a bad fall due to vertigo.  She can barely stand up, much less drive, cook, and clean. He's cleaned her entire house from top to bottom, refreshed the neglected kitty-litter boxes, and made meals for her.  "She's in really bad shape," he told me.  She can't go out to eat, and she can't stand long enough to wash the dishes.  The saddest part is that she moved to Birmingham to be near family--and they are too busy to help her out.

Mike's main claim to happiness is what he can do for other people--whether it's building,repairing, cooking or cleaning.  Yesterday he was in a funk himself. Then he got a call from his friend in Birmingham, put Mojo in the car, and drove there to help her get her house in order.

"If I can just help one person for one day, it makes me happy," he said.

Maybe, after all, that's the number one key to happiness for all of us--getting out of our own stuff and reaching out to somebody else.

I know I've often been the recipient of this kind of help and caring from my friends--a bowl of soup when I'm sick, a letter or card in the mail, and countless other acts of kindness.  These are the things that, when you feel better, you never forget.