Embraced by Kindness
I have been wanting to hug our faithful and hard-working sanitation workers for years, but haven’t. It felt too odd/awkward. This morning, while walking our dog, Finley, I waved to the driver of the Yard Waste Management truck and said thank you. I continued walking past the truck and saw a worker returning a garbage can to the sidewalk and holding a plastic bag of what looked like soiled diapers. I don’t know if it was, but it didn’t belong in yard waste, so he was returning it to the empty garbage can without any look of complaint or disgust.
He had a smile on his face, looked up at me, and gave me a big hello. On impulse, I walked up to him with arms open, to give him a hug. His arms also opened wide to receive it and we embraced. I loved the smell of him, the feel of the moisture of his sweat on my cheek, the warmth and kindness that was exchanged. I told him thank you for all the faithful and hard work he does. What I didn’t expect was his response:
“God bless you, my dear!” He actually looked me in the eyes and held my gaze which is so uncommon even for people who know each other well. He was smiling and his face was welcoming, engaged, and warm. Not sure what I expected, but kindness was not on the list.
We exchanged this gift of gratitude and blessing without guile: The gift of giving and receiving a hug. As I walked away, my heart began to beat quickly and tears began to flow. I was overwhelmed with his spontaneous anointing of my heart and something shifted in the universe and my body ever so slightly.
As some of you know, sadness has been settled into my bones for quite awhile and although I am a crier and someone who can usually identify and process emotions, this one has been tough to pinpoint and tears have been few and far between. But this morning they flowed as I finished my walk and thanked Jesus for the men and women who consistently help to keep the world kind (and clean)!
I/we can miss the holiness of the spaces we occupy and the moments that seem so mundane. His words felt like a threshold - a border crossing that helped me step into something mysterious and solid inside me. I’ve always said that kindness has the power of water roaring out of a damn.
We have seen so much destruction and heartache in the recent power of water in the aftermath of Helene. I have watched and prayed as communities have shed so many tears. There are a dirge of things to grieve. I have also witnessed generosity toward one another. If kindness can grow in the place of wreckage and grief, it can push aside criticism, hardness, fear, shame…all kinds of things. It can connect and soften hearts. Kindness can then make room for curiosity, hope, and sometimes tears. And kindness sometimes gives grief permission to come out of hiding because it finally feels safe. Kindness says, “I can hold what you have to bring. I got this. I’m right here.”
November is National Children’s Grief Awareness Month and what would happen if we all spent the month being kind, inviting others to grief and generosity? What would happen if we slowed down and sat with the losses which are many these days. Sitting shiva with one another? It could bring healing, understanding and closure. It could bring even more kindness and a sense of belonging.
My next children’s book is about friendship, loss, resilience and hope. It is another true story that will be going to the printer during the National Children’s Grief Awareness month as a way of honoring it’s importance and message. It is called The Cabin and the illustrations are as beautiful, lyrical, and captivating as the words. Sneak peaks coming in November. Be on the lookout.
Sign up on my website now to get information and details about the book, preordering, free downloads, and upcoming deals!
