<<<<<<Vibe;Eddie Vedder; Better days>>>>>>

A few years ago I was sat in a café killing time before a hair appointment.

At the time I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders and was internalizing how I was going to move forward in life, with no actual clue!

As I sat mindlessly scrolling through my phone an elderly lady at the next table turned and ask me the time, so I told her. She then said the strangest thing to me, she said, “whatever is on your mind will soon be irrelevant dear, If I was your age again I would live my life so differently, enjoy every single moment”. The way she looked at me and held my gaze was so intense and loaded. I was so taken back my only response was to smile, as I couldn’t speak due to the lump in my throat. I felt “seen” and understood in the most simple yet meaningful of ways.

Her granddaughter then appeared with their drinks and said, “Grandma stop interfering”.  If only the Granddaughter knew the comfort those words had given me.

With hindsight, the lady was one of my tribe, she could “see” me, my truth, and she knew exactly what I needed to hear, I guess she possibly maybe felt the same way at some point in her life perhaps? My regret is that I didn’t chat with her, she seemed so wise and so kind!

From that day on, I thought I would always be kind to those that looked like they needed some compassion and kindness.

For those of you that have not watched the movie Pay it forward, this act of kindness from the lady was a shining example of the message the movie is trying to project.

It took a single tiny moment, just one, and my day looked brighter. I also thought one day (hopefully) I will be the little old lady with a bit of wisdom to offer a stanger in need.

We need not carry the burdens of others and get enmeshed in their “stuff”, but we can be kind and listen, or even just show someone that we “see” them by giving them our time and a “how are you”? And actually listening to their answer. We need not have the answers but quietly listen and offer support and space. Whatever the person is going through is theirs to learn from and grow. NOT YOURS to carry!

So little old lady wherever you are in the realms of this universe thank you for offering kindness to a soul that needed it, even if she didn’t know that at the time!

Homework. Watch the movie Pay it Forward.