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Kindness a bigger rush than caffeine

I was unable to catch this saint’s name because she had left the shop and carried on with her life.

The other day I was in line at a local coffee shop, ready to get my daily dose of a double-double with a side of a jelly filled donut.

I ordered the usual and awaited for approval from my debit card. Embarrassingly it had not worked, apparently some sort of chip error. This rejection not only embarrassed me as an individual, I also felt bad because I had held up the line behind me.

I told the cashier that I’d be back. I went to the bank and was able to withdraw money from the card. I ran back and entered the shop and was about to pay, but to my surprise the lady who had been waiting behind me had already paid for my meal.

I was so shocked and grateful for the kind gesture. Even though I had made her wait longer for her order, this lady, out of the kindness of her heart, did something so uplifting that it made me feel something that I haven’t felt. It was something that’s been missing in our society for a while: kindness.

I was unable to catch this saint’s name because she had left the shop and carried on with her life, but I was not going to let this kind gesture go unnoticed.

So I decided to do what she had done. The next morning as I was waiting in line to get my daily double-double, a different lady stood behind me. I began talking to her and told her what had happened the day before. I offered her the same treatment, saying, “your order’s on me.”

The lady gave me a shocked, heartwarming stare and  I can’t even begin to describe the feelings I experienced. She was so grateful for the kind deed and said her day was made. It was the same feeling that I experienced.

After everything was said and done she gave me a big hug and told me she too would carry on this kind gesture to the next unknowing person.

I hope this story has inspired you into doing some sort of kind gesture, big or small, because the reward of helping others is far greater than anything else.

 

Hangue Kim