Good Things | Russ Grover, |
|
About a year ago, a couple with three children moved into the apartment next door to me. I never hear any noise from the children, but the parents were always yelling at the kids, not in a constructive tone, but more on the threatening side. When I am in my bathroom it is quite loud. We met often in the hallway when we were coming or going. I always spoke, but the only answer I ever got was a hello from the four-year old girl. I usually go out for breakfast and one day when I returned they were just coming from their apartment and the little girl was holding the door open for the others. I remained in the car doing unnecessary things because I wasn't too eager to be snubbed. The parents were telling her to hurry and get in the car (they were parked next to me). I looked up and saw the little girl was still holding the door open, waiting for me. I am handicapped to the point that I can't hurry at anything, but I hurried as much as I could and thanked her. She was smiling from ear to ear. That afternoon I was at the K-Mart and I saw a white teddy bear. I thought of the little girl and said to myself, "I bet she would like that" so I bought it. I forgot to tell you how much I was touched by her act of kindness. I wrote a note saying how much her act of kindness had touched a soft spot in an old man's heart and I didn't even know her name. The next day there was a knock on the door and it was the little girl and her father. She was so proud of her bear and thanked me like I had never been thanked before. Then I noticed her mother and the other children were there in the hall too. The mother and father both thanked me. Now when we meet in the hall we all speak, and in a friendly manner I might add. As time passes, I don't hear that yelling as often, in fact, hardly at all. Last night we had about 4 inches of snow. I looked out at my car and wondered how I was going to keep my doctor's appointment because I can only exert myself just so long and then rest for a while. I didn't have that much time. The temperature was zero, so I bundled up and went out to remove the snow. When I opened the outside door, there was my car with all the snow removed. I can't express how I felt at that moment. The man next door was the only person I knew in the whole building, so when I saw him the next day, I asked him if he was the good guy that removed my snow. He said NO. He wanted to but his wife said she wanted to do it. Isn't it amazing how the small kind act of a 4-year-old girl can change so many things for the better? My guardian angel says that more good things come from small acts. | |