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the Dalai Lama in NYC

My mother who died 5 years ago used to do wonderful small things. She would pick a rose bud from the Mr. Lincoln rosebush I'd given my father for father's day years earlier, wrap it in tissue paper, box it and send it to me so I could experience the wonderful fragrance. She would pick a sweet perfect blackberry from her berry patch and do the same. Amazingly these things came to me in revivable if not pristine condition. One day Mama was passing the roadside crawfish stand ("Live Boiled Crawfish!") that would sidle up to her neighborhood on Thursday afternoons. She asked for a big crawfish. She took it home and waited for my three-year-old daughter to visit that weekend. She gently showed my daughter the live unboiled crawfish. Later she drove to a bridge that spanned the bayou where I used to wander as a child. She giggled at herself later as she told on herself that she'd instructed that crawfish to enjoy his freedom as she let him drop into the waters of that bayou. In her life she manifested an abundance of small graces under some mean circumstances. Everytime I am moved to any sort of kindness, I am thankful for her example.

I experienced an incredible amount of kindness when I reached out to a Reverend my sister referred me to. I was having problems with my boss and asked for advice. I had a concussion a couple of weeks later and the dear Reverend Irene had me visit her house and gave me lunches and told me many stories and healings and spiritual teachings with the knowingness of Jesus and God. I was so very lonely before I met her and even after she passed away some ten years later, I never felt that lonely again. She introduced me to another friend, whom I was blessed to know for several years too. Reverend Irene was like a mom to me and best friend. From her kindness, I went on to extend kindness to the unfortunate, when I am able. Reverend Irene referred me to get onto Social Security Disability Income so that I am able to sustain myself and my son. Her kindness surely touched my life and made me feel there is so much more than what we realize.

When I was traveling in Jordan with two friends, we drove to an out of the way small town to see some ancient early Christian mosaics that the town was famous for. When we arrived, we set out to find a place to stay, and much to our surprise, could see no hotels or hostels. We went into a restaurant to inquire where we might find lodging, and were told that unfortunately, there was none in that town. The proprietor of the restaurant insisted that we have tea and rest, and so we did. While we were relaxing, he brought out several trays of food for us, insisting that we eat and enjoy the local cuisine. After a wonderful meal, we tried to pay and he refused to take any money, wishing us well in our travels.
This was a lesson in kindness to strangers, and I always have a warm feeling in my heart when I remember it, and the graciousness of the people in that small middle eastern town.