Kindness…

Up until 9:57am this morning, I was having a shitty day.

Even running into an old friend at a volleyball tournament didn’t take away the feeling. Watching Bones spike a ball or make a fabulous serve, while exciting…I just couldn’t quite shake it. Seeing her team win both sets and celebrate their accomplishment…while I was proud, couldn’t pull me from the funk I was in.

The thing is, I woke up that way. A horrible nightmare had me reeling.

We were on a cruise ship, a family vacation…and just as we hit the open seas, Spiderman couldn’t be found. Every nook and cranny of that boat I searched…until I began to panic. I stood among so many teens and tried to find his face among the crowd. I saw just about every person I ever hung out with…sitting around the tables laughing. No one had grown up…the teenaged faces of friends I haven’t seen in years smiling back at me as I frantically searched. The police were called and a full-scale emergency was on as suddenly, everyone knew he’d gone overboard. Then, turning a corner as I began to run…I saw him. Sitting with a couple of friends in his shirt and tie from hockey…he smiled.

I burst into tears of panic and joy and felt the shaking as I woke from my nightmare. My dog, standing over me…desperate to wake me.

I was crying. The dog was panicked. She’d obviously known I was having a nightmare and desperately tried to wake me.

Still hours later, she won’t leave my side.

I started the day not quite right. Jumped in the shower and headed to my daughter’s volleyball tournament where a headache began forming and I couldn’t decide if I needed more sleep or a couple of Tylenol to push it away.

I watched the game then left. Happy for Bones and her team but just wanting some time to curl up on the couch. As I headed for home, I thought I’d stop to grab a cup of tea…see if I could start fresh.

And then at 9:57 am, moments after I’d ordered and as I pulled up to the window at the Kearney Lake Tim Horton’s I heard, “the gentleman in front of you paid for your order and said to have a wonderful day.”

Kindness.

My day started off horribly. Nothing’s really wrong but a bad night of sleep…a bit of a headache…a feeling of being a little unsure of myself despite all of the wonderful things in my life and then out of the blue…someone shows a simple act of kindness.

I don’t think I knew who the man was. It could have been a friend or a complete stranger as I didn’t recognize the car but to be honest, I’m not really great with details…evident from the simple fact that I lost my son on a cruise ship full of teens in the first place! But the thing is, friend or stranger, you never really know who you’re affecting on any given day just by reaching out. And doing something kind.

At 9:57 am this morning…while shaking off a bad night and a bit of a headache…kindness changed my day.