Still Nice People

A few weeks ago, I ranted a bit about people doing “bad” things because they were anonymous. This week, an anonymous person did something kind and I think that’s worth a mention. There are still nice people in the world.

I was walking along Cooke St in Victoria, BC with my youngest daughter. As we passed by the WIN Resale shop, a lady came out with her shopping bag. Here is our conversation (as I remember it):

HER: Hello! Excuse me, sir.

ME: Yes?

HER: I just bought some children’s books and I just… well, I want to give your daughter one.

ME: Oh! That’s very kind of you.

HER (fishing around her bag): Here’s a good one.

ME: Thank you!

HER: You are welcome. You should go look around. The children’s books are $1 and they have lots of other things.

ME: Yes, we will do that. We are headed down here but we will on the way back.

(We exchange smiles and she walks away)

The conversation is kind of boring when I write it like this. I was quite touched by her gesture and of course my daughter was excited about the book. We did go back and buy a kids puzzle later on. The book was a winnie the pooh story and she carried it everywhere we went and as we drove around, I could hear her in the back seat flipping the pages. I think that book was the highlight of her day.

All day long I had been trying to keep a tight schedule. We had appointments and groceries and shopping and we had only a limited time before we needed to catch the ferry back home. At almost every stop along the way, my daughter was asking to stay longer or see one more thing and I kept rushing her along. I was feeling frustrated that I didn’t have time to slow down and let her enjoy the trip.

But that moment, at the thrift store, was sweet. We both appreciated the book but to me, the fact that an anonymous lady did this, was special. I didn’t even get her name. Sure, the book cost $1 so it’s not a big expense but that simple kind act made a big difference for me and my daughter. Showing kindness is so much more than a price tag.

Let this post be a public thank you to a kind soul living in Victoria, BC.