The Simple kindness of the Semester

You guys know those weeks. Some seven day intervals seem riddled with strange unkindnesses. Take the "dude" at school who cussed me out because I was trying to be nice and not run over him (go figure)! By contrast, there are other days that simple kindnesses seem to blossom from under the cracks in the side walk right beneath our feet. Take several Tuesdays ago. My art instructor told us students to plunk ourselves somewhere on campus and do a charcoal drawing (our 2nd ever). I chose the same out-of-the-way spot that I worked at a month prior--on the sidewalk on front of a gnarled tree. The minutes passed by as I became in engrossed in the work of my ebony dusted hands.

"Oh honey your bum must hurt!" I looked up. A elderly cafeteria worker, her lunch in hand, looked down on me with concern.

"Oh, I 'm ok. It really isn't so bad."

"Well, you should be careful honey. You really could get sore from sitting on the hard cement like this!"

"You are kind but I am alright" Trust me, I thought, I have enough padding! NO harm has been done!

The minutes silently slipped by as my arm moved in large strokes, first with the kneaded eraser then with the stick of soft charcoal. Trusting my untrained instincts, I cut out the fingers of light and put in dark shadows.


"Here ya go baby!"

Turning, my eyes met the same cafeteria worker holding a pair of folded fleece pants.

"Now it won't be so bad. Just throw them away when you are through with them!"




By the time she had finished talking, she had placed the soft fleece pants beneath my rump! I was just able to ask her name and say "thank you!" before she rushed back to the cafeteria.

Maybe you haven't been given a pair of sweat pants to "cush your tush," yet I would guess that you personally, have received a kindness of some sort lately. It is a good reminder, is it not, in this Christmas hustle and bustle to think of others more than we think of ourselves.

Once again, thanks Camile.