The milk of human kindness
Today I witnessed something beautiful, which has helped to reinforce my belief in the goodness that is still all around us and like magic can just appear in the most unlikely places, when you least expect it.
It seems we’ve been swamped with news of violence, crime, corruption, poverty , and many disasters all over the world by the Media, so I hope what I am about to tell you will help to reinforce your belief also.
Whilst standing in a queue at the checkout in our local supermarket I couldn’t help but over hear the assistant having a jovial exchange of conversation with everyone that was going through her checkout. The assistant is a very pleasant young lady, very efficient at her job and her queue is always the quickest to go down, but she always has a kind word for everyone she serves.
When I shop there I check to see if she is on the checkout and always make a conscious effort for her to serve me as she’s got such a pleasant manner.
It was getting closer to me emptying my basket and I overheard her conversation with an old gentleman at the front, it went like this….
Customer: – ‘I am 87 today it is my birthday!’
Assistant: – ‘You look wonderful for your age. I bet you will be getting spoilt by all your family and friends when you get home!’
Customer: – ‘I am on my own now, my family live away and my good wife has since departed and all my friends are up there with her, still I can’t have much time left till I am with them all again, life holds no surprises for me anymore”, his head was down and he was focusing on packing his bags with her help.
As I stood there listening, a lump came in my throat and my eyes filled up, as I thought about my mum’s passing and how my dad has been left alone after many years of being together.
I thought about how lonely my dad is and I could sense the pain in this dear old man, I could really empathise with him.
She handed him his change and his receipt, and said take care, then he slowly began to walk away, walking stick in one hand and his shopping bag in the other.
She suddenly jumped up, vanished down an aisle leaving a queue of customers in her wake. She came running back, past all of us at her checkout and managed to catch him just as he was about to leave, she put a bottle of whisky in his shopping bag and said,
“Have a drink on me Happy birthday, bless you, you’re never too old for surprises.”
The milk of human kindness was overflowing right before our eyes. As she returned to her checkout, she never said a word, just got on with putting the next customer’s groceries through and being her ever pleasant self, started chatting as if nothing had happened, she didn’t do it for praise or recognition, she did it because she is a genuine soul that had been touched by the old gentleman’s story when it came to my turn I just said to her God Bless you dear lady.
That gesture was more than customer service it came from the heart from one human being to another and showed an old gentleman that somebody cares
It touched my soul and gave me a good feeling which is priceless!