Brighten Your Day

Names have been changed.

I was given some grape vine shoots from a friend, Mary. Since our soil is mostly clay, and my husband and I planned on eating the grapes, I went to Lowes to pick up some organic garden soil. I got two bags loaded into my cart and headed for the register. There were several people in line, and others lingering around still shopping. I got in line, then realized I'd accidentally cut in front of an older couple in the line who had a bunch of flowers in their cart. I backed out, apologizing.

The couple, Bob and is wife Nancy, said they weren't in a hurry and to go ahead. We started talking about the flowers and she said she was putting them in pots on her patio. Suddenly, she stopped and said "I forgot potting soil." Bob tells her "We have no place on the cart to put it. Plus, I can't carry that heavy bag over here!" They were bantering back and forth about it, and I could tell the man wasn't going to be able to carry a heavy bag like that back to the register.

I said to Nancy "I have room in my cart. Why don't you and I get your potting soil and use my cart to bring it back so no one has to carry it?"

So that's what we did. Once we got back.to the register, the couple checked out. (Bob had rearranged the flowers to make room for the potting soil.) When the cashier, Barbara, checked me out, she asked if I needed anything else. I said no, and she said she had given me a 25% discount on my entire order because I had been kind to that couple.

Here's the chain reaction:

Mary gave me grape vine shoots.

Bob and Nancy were going to let me in front of them on line.

I helped Nancy get her potting soil.

Barbara gave me 25% off my garden soil.

Kindness can be infectious. Let's spread it around!