I walked outside to find the air thick with the scent of artificial flowers. A cloud of mist rumbled up the city streets as a man pressure washed the pavers of the sidewalk. You see, after a very wet winter, the sidewalks have become very slippery around San Francisco. I opened the gate to my building with my dog in my arms to protect him from the windy artificially scented mist. The man paused the pressure washing for a moment. I thanked him for pressure washing the sidewalks mentioning how slippery they were getting, and we got to talking.

He told me he was just going to do a small part of the city block as assigned, but now is going to do the entire block. He saw the old woman who lived up the street walking home earlier that day, and noticed she was shuffling up the hill and unsteady at best. She asked for his help to walk home. Without question, he walked her up the hill and back to her apartment. I have walked this same woman back to her apartment myself in the past when she gets tired and unsteady. The man from the city said we were just old school like that. Perhaps a lost art.

Later in the day I had an appointment to help someone learn how to use their e-reader. I had offered to help after she was telling me about how she wants to read short stories to improve her English, but is on a budget. She said that she was gifted an e-reader, but wasn’t quite sure how to use it. In our visit, we added a few free short stories onto her kindle. Then downloaded Hoopla and Libby for free books from the library. Then I left her a video tutorial by text message on her phone for reference on how to use her e-reader. Later on in the evening she thanked me once again.

This morning, I started thinking about the weight of kindness. Or as Confucius talks about the a spirit of generosity, kindness, sincerity, and earnestness. How these virtues carry a great weight. Helping a neighbor home. Clearing the sidewalks just a little more to help others. Hearing someone is struggling with their e-reader, wants to learn, and is on a budget. It’s the little things, where we go just a little further to help thy neighbor which carry a greater weight than we sometimes realize. These little things are worth their weight in gold. Matters that leave me with a light that shines a little brighter, and a fire that burns a little hotter to keep me warm in these winter months.

In end

May the spirit of generosity be with you, and keep you warm on these cold winter days. A little goes a long way.

-Keri

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