I just returned from a vacation with my husband's family in Florida.  Of course, we're exhausted and need a "vacation from our vacation," but there were many kindnesses I was able to witness while we were gone - one of which I'm compelled to share.  We were making our long return drive and had just crossed the border into Georgia.  As we had all three of our dogs with us, we decided to stop at the Atlanta Visitor Center/rest area to walk them and give our legs a stretch.   I was holding two leashes and also watching our littlest dog who was unleashed when I noticed a very methodical movement out of the corner of my eye.  I glanced up to the parking area and noticed two women walking, obviously back from a bathroom break based on the direction they were walking.  Now, normally, two women walking back to their vehicle wouldn't be anything to write home about.  However, it was how they were walking that riveted my attention.  They were walking in tandem - think 2-seater bicycle - in that one woman was walking directly behind the other, with their torsos and legs moving in exact sequence with each other.  Obviously, there was more to the story here that my mind hadn't quite picked up on at first glance.  I looked closer.  I noticed that the woman in the lead was quite elderly and the woman behind her was somewhat younger - maybe 50 years or so - possibly her daughter?  I also noticed that the younger woman had her arms curled under the arms of the older woman, so that she was actually holding her close against her.  I then had my "Ah ha" moment, comprehending that the younger woman was actually helping the older woman walk.  No professional dancers I have ever seen were more in sync with each other.  Every step was matched perfectly as the knees of the younger woman met the back of the older woman's knees, helping to lift her legs forward as each foot was placed down and weight shifted.  It was mesmerizing, like a small train moving on invisible tracks in the pavement.  That's when I was struck by the simple, gentle, loving, and patient kindness in this scene as I answered my own questions of "Why did they park so far from the bathrooms?" (because they were easily 150 feet from where the handicapped parking was) and "Why isn't she in a wheelchair?"  I let my mind stretch a bit to deduce certain possibilities:  maybe the older woman had recently been injured or had surgery on her legs/hips or maybe she had had a stroke and was trying to learn to walk again and needed or wanted to rehabilitate quickly in order to be able to be back on her own.  I then asked myself "How many of us (including myself) would be willing to step up (literally) and help a loved one in this way?"  It was obviously hard work and a job most of us have seen passed on to a health care provider.  However, I could see the healing power of the kindness of looking after one's own without handing them off to someone else.  I could see the faith of the younger woman that the older woman could and would heal to walk on her own.  I could see the trust of the older woman in the younger that she would not let her fall or fail.  And I could see how any person who witnessed this could be challenged to step up and help in ways far less challenging than this when asked to do so.  I witnesses the kindness of selflessness in a world of selfishness and I hope never to forget it. 

Okay ... this isn't a huge, earth-shattering type of kindness, but to me sometimes those small, everyday kindnesses are the ones that stick with us - maybe because they're so easy to accomplish by the average person.  This morning, our building managers stood in the lobby of our downtown office building and handed out red and pink long-stemmed roses for Valentine's Day.  What a beautiful and thoughtful way to start a day!  The rose handed to me was a lovely, dark, bubblegum pink and waved to me on my desk throughout my very busy and stressful hours.  Each time I looked at it or smelled its soft fragrance, I was delivered back to the smile and warm "Hello!" and "Happy Valentine's!" that accompanied its delivery upon my arrival at work.   It is a kindness that will be remembered all weekend long as well, since I took the rose home with me.  I started thinking about all the people who received those Valentine's roses this morning.  I thought of how many different ways their days might have been kindly and gently altered.  I imagined that some of the recipients might have had a rough morning even before they left home, or a stressful drive in through morning traffic, or had been feeling ill from the common winter ailments, or felt sadness at being alone, or had arrived in our building with the hopes of a new job - yet they received a small, but precious gift.   The gift of one rose and the kindness that went with it most certainly lifted my spirits, I can imagine it did the same for others.