A Simple Act of Kindness
by Stephen Damon
Ever notice how great an effect a simple act of human kindness by a stranger can have on your state of being? To tell the truth I hadn’t thought about that very much until yesterday when I took my dog on our morning walk. We were walking around the neighborhood recreation center, which is undergoing a major renovation. Up ahead of us were two construction workers, speaking in Spanish. As we got closer, I noticed a heavy pipe was blocking the sidewalk, which made my dog very nervous. One of the workers smiled, wished us a good morning, and moved the pipe out-of-the-way. I thanked him very much, but what caught my attention was how my entire body felt thankful.
Yes, it was a simple act, but it had a great effect on me. I noticed how the muscles around my chest relaxed, allowing me to breathe more evenly. And I noticed how open I became to everything around me. I became very aware of the colors of the grass and wildflowers along the park and I became more aware of the sounds of passing cars as well as the bird songs coming out of the trees. I seemed to have a panoramic view of everything within and without me.
I became very aware of the deep connection between myself and the world around me. In Buddhist terms, I became aware of the close connection between interdependence and loving kindness. These are two essential features of the way things are, of reality itself. I realized that we were all in this together and I couldn’t be happy without the happiness of everyone else. A simple act of kindness by a construction worker showed me the real fabric of reality: interdependence. As we passed through the debris I bowed to him and thanked him again. He smiled even more broadly than before. It was a small moment in time, but it seemed to include everything that had gone before.
Throughout the day I came back to the image of the construction worker holding a heavy pipe in his hands. And every time I did so, I felt myself open to something deeper in myself.
bows,
Stephen
Beautiful post, and very true 🙂