There still is kindness in the world. You may ask how I know this? When my dad died this past March, I wanted to print photos at a local pharmacy. They had run out of photo paper for the machine and could not print the photos. When I told them I desperately needed the photos printed and couldn’t wait, one of the workers actually went to another store to get the paper and I was able to print the photos within a few hours. A friend came by later to pick them up for me.
Then there were friends who came and visited my dad in the hospital and others who offered their kindness through favors.
Recently, my mom and I had to go to the NJMVC in Hazlet. My mom dropped her cell phone and couldn’t find it. I tried calling it, but there was no answer. After looking in my car and walking around the building (a strip mall that includes other stores – the line wrapped all around the whole building) and asking if anyone found a cell phone, one woman told me to ask the guard. I asked him and he handed me the phone. A woman had found it and given it to him.
We had brought foldable chairs to wait in the line (pay in mind this is at 7:30 a.m. – there were people there who had been in line since 8:30 p.m. the previous night). When the line started moving, a young man saw that my mother’s and my hands were full, so he carried the chair for us. (We were carrying packed lunches, water bottles, and the needed papers for the MVC and hand sanitizer). Note that they only let a certain number of people in per day.
These individuals did not have to do these things – but they did. There is kindness in the world.
All over the news you see people rioting, looting, fighting with each other and full of hate. What happened to having your opinion on politics without being crucified by others who have opposing views than you? That was always a part of the beauty of the United States – you are free to voice your opinion without repercussions from the government or anyone for that matter. It seems things are different now and we are slowly losing our freedom of speech and many of our other freedoms as well. We cannot let this happen.
Coming on the 19th Anniversary of 9-11-01, I remember what 9-12-01 looked like – the day after. People were stuck in New York and New Jersey and in airports everywhere. Cars lined up on Amboy Avenue from the Outerbridge Crossing. People opened up their houses to strangers just so they could use the bathroom and have a bite to eat or so they did not have to sleep in their cars or outside. People proudly flew the American flag everywhere. For a brief time, everyone was nice to everyone. Have we forgotten those times?
Terrorists later bombed the Boston Marathon, attacked England, Germany, and other places and at other times. Some of these attempts were thwarted by authorities. Now, who is to say our enemies are trying a different approach: germ warfare and attacking us from within – divide and conquer. Weaken us. Let us kill each other – then roll right in. Take lessons from history: Rome fell from within. When the apple rots from the core, it is all downhill. We cannot let our enemies destroy us like this. We must work together.
However, these acts of kindness from those with nothing to gain gives me hope. A fire starts from a single spark. Light your spark of kindness and pass it on. There is hope for us. K.M.
