It's the Little Things

Picture it: Sicily, 1943. The day is hot and the tempers are cold. Oops, let me turn of the Golden Girls and give you my full attention ;)

PS. The Golden Girls is an American comedy sitcom from the 1980's. Its geared toward an older audience and despite the fact I am not their target audience I absolutely **love it!** The writers were fantastically talented; they give the show such a high level of wit and spark! I also love Cheers, another older television show. Those writers were amazing too! Both of these shows are totally worth the watch and are still played late at night on cable television. Give 'em a try- you won't be sorry!

Ok, back to my story ;)

It was hot. The air conditioning wouldn't turn on. At only ten in the morning my car was a sauna, and smelled like one too as my boys had left their gym clothes in the car and I hadn't noticed until I was already 10 miles away from home, already late for my two-hour drive away appointment. I was suffering broken ribs and pleurisy, and the beginnings of the summer flu. And to top it off I hadn't slept all night from the pain.

Needless to say my emotional temperature was as frigid as an abominable snowmans tears of rage. If someone would have crossed me that day I think me and my car both would have blown a couple of fuses.

My internal grumble was running full force when my rational brain came to life and reminded me I was near the toll bridge. Many, many awfully vile swear words in more than one language ensued. As a young mother I did not have much money to spare, and in my fuzzy brained state I had forgotten to turn off and go the long but free way around.

I stopped in my lane and dug around for change as the cars ahead of me paid. When it was my turn the lady said, "go right on through, your toll was paid."

I looked at the car leaving as a hand waved from either window.

$4.25 is not much but is a lot when you don't have it to spare.

But not only that, the feeling I had inside was indescribable. Here were complete strangers, driving a car that looked to be in the same severely depreciated value as mine, who paid my fee. That one little act of theirs changed my day. I could not get rid of the smile I was now wearing, and my sour mood was completely wiped away and replaced with a deep gratitude and compassion.

I have been the recipient of a number of similar incidents in my life. The week before Christmas one year my items were scanned and as I pulled my wallet from my purse the checker waved it away, "No need, put that away. A gentleman paid for yours and several others behind you," whispering so as not to spoil the surprise for the others. And another time my fare was paid at a toll bridge. And once my night at a hostel was paid by a fellow traveler.

In the weeks following 9-11, envelopes were found in New York. A passerby would find one taped to a phone booth, or a weary pedestrian would almost sit on one on a bench. The envelopes contained a couple of dollars with a cheerful note to relax and enjoy a slice of pizza, or a positive poem handwritten on nice paper. Someone had started leaving a few around the city to boost morale and bring a little light into an otherwise scary and uncertain time, and it caught on.

Another bit of happy trend that caught was the leaving of books at bus stops and subways. They have a stamp on the inside front cover that this book is free for you to take, but you had to leave it in a similar place for someone else to enjoy when you are finished reading.

It's the little things that matter. These seemingly simple little things take almost no effort on your part but can change the outcome of an entire day for someone! And that has a ripple effect: I pay your toll, you are in a good mood so you smile and joke with the gas station attendant, his mood is uplifted so he is positive and happy which is contagious to the next hundred travelers during his shift, then each of them affect someone, and so on, and so on! The ball of positive energy keeps on rolling, spreading happiness to all four corners of the Earth ;)

We do a little bit of happy spreading whenever we interact with our fellow Steemians. You know how good you feel when you have comments, encouragement, and rewards on your post? We all have that feeling :)

But lets go above and beyond my fellow Steemitzens! Lets make it a point to do the little things :)

Do something kind today, even if all you can afford is positive energy and a happy smile to someone. Together we can make today a happy one far and wide :)

It truly is the little things that make life beautiful <3

I appreciate your support :)