Acts of kindness

Today was the most wonderful warm sunny blue sky day. After going into town to the bank, I went on my way to visit my friend for lunch. I had not seen her since we shared a wonderful evening together with friends to celebrate New Year at a restaurant.  Since then she had been on her travels all over the world, and this was our first meeting again. I have known her for over 30 years, and in the meantime, our children have grown and become adults, and we still have the easy affectionate banter that we enjoyed at the beginning. I never get tired of seeing her and chatting, and even going away on two holidays together has not broken the spell. So there I was in my car driving up a little country lane on my way to her house, when I came over a rise and saw in front of me a whole field ploughed beautifully. The lines were so graceful and straight and a real work of art, how many hours had it taken the farmer to do? How many years of experience to be able to plough a furrow that deep and straight, it took my breath away in its subtle beauty. I got to think of how much pleasure seeing that field had given me. I know that he had done it to the very best of his ability, and in doing so, made me and perhaps anyone else who drove that way, very happy to see such great work. Simple earth, ready with the straightest furrows to put the seeds in.. what a grand feeling it will give him to work the land now he has got it ready.
Even if that farmer didn't know it, he had done something special  with that field, and made other people happy too.

There is a long held belief that if everyone does something each day to make others happy, the world is happy too.I have long lived my life with this idea, sometimes it is harder than others, but you can do one thing each day to make a difference.. Even if it is smiling at a complete stranger and saying good morning. Sometimes I see a person with amazing hair colour or style and I will tell them so, they are abashed but pleased at the comment and makes them smile. I guess I might come over as a bit eccentric, but I believe in letting them know that they are looking good. I have had it happen to me and believe in passing it on..

Another part of my life philosophy  is that if you can do a good deed, someone in your life or family will benefit when it is necessary for them to have a helping hand. There was a film called Passing it forward I think, but this is what I have done my whole life. Any thanks for help I tell them to pass it on, so that anyone can do this.. it is like ripples in a pool and spreads out far and wide and I know it works as I  and my family and friends have felt the benefits.

 I guess I got the idea from my mother who would always stop to help. One day my parents were driving along and she told my dad to stop and help a man on the ground. My dad thought the man was drunk and didn't really want to get involved, but she insisted and went over, and then found out the young man had had his windpipe jammed by a passer bye and he couldn't breath, so they took him to the local hospital where they were able to save him.  Sometimes what you see and interpret can be wrong, so its always best to check and find out, not just pass by and ignore. An act of kindness takes very little  time and means so much  to those receiving it.