A Single Act of Kindness..

0:00You know those days where you feel like you're barely holding it together, but you still smile at the cashier, still help the person in front of you. Still try to be kind while secretly wondering if anyone sees how hard you're trying. It's time for our Friday episode of the Daily Standup Podcast, where it's agile, but not so agile. This is a story about a mom that's just like that, and a stranger who decided her quiet kindness was worth changing her life for. So let's set the scene. It's an ordinary afternoon in San Diego, California. Florescent grocery store lights, kids negotiating for snacks, carts squeaking down the aisles, is the kind of place where everyone is close together, but no one really feels seen. In the middle of it all is jane, a mama four. You can picture one kid in a

1:03cart, another hang in the side, two more orbiting light moons, bumping into displays, asking a million questions, reminding her every 30 seconds that they're hungry, tired, need to go to the bathroom or all of them. But nobody in that store knows is that money has been tied for her. Tight enough that every item in her cart has already been mentally weighted against a bill waiting at home. Tight enough that she's done the math three times, and she's still a little nervous about what the total might be. But she's doing what moms do, pushing forward, getting it done, making it look manageable outside. As she's checking out, kids restless, brain tired, eyes on the total, she notices a man in line nearby. He looks like any other shopper, regular clothes, a calm presence, nothing flashier, obviously special. He approached her with a small plight smile and said something unexpected, hey, would you mind helping me with something? Her guard goes up for a second because

2:07she's a mom, and that's what moms do. But this request is disarmy. He holds up an envelope and some wrapping supplies and explains, I'm giving a cash gift to someone who really needs it, and I'm just terrible at wrapping things. Can you help me make it look nice? It's a weird request. Most people are in too much of a hurry to get involved in someone else's project, but it taps right in who she is, a giver, a helper. Someone who says yes, even when she's exhausted. So she shrugs off her fatigue for a moment and agrees. Right there at the end of the checkout lane, while people pass, and scanners beep, she focuses on an envelope like it really matters. She folds the paper carefully, lines up the edges, smooths out the creases, tucks to corners, just right. Maybe she even adds a little piece of tape to make sure it doesn't pop open. It's not just busy work for her, it's a chance to help someone else bless a person I need. As she's wrapping,

3:13she shatters a bit about how thoughtful it is, how someone's day is going to be made when they open it. In her mind, she's helping goodness move forward, helping a stranger do something kind for someone unknown in the world around her. She has no idea that the unknown person is about to be her. When she finishes, she handles, she hands the nearly perfectly wrapped envelope back to the man with a simple genuine smile. The smile of someone used to give him more than she gets. He looks at envelope, he looks at her, and then he says something that makes her body go still. Thank you so much. This envelope is wrapped so beautifully. I know that I couldn't have done it without you, but actually this gift is for you. This moment, almost like a freeze frame,

4:18where a brain tries to catch up with what? For me, did he just say that? He gently insists. He explains that he's been watching how she's been interacting with her kids throughout the store, how patient she is in a chaos, how kindly she agreed to help him with no expectation of anything in return. He wanted to find someone who would be generous when they believed to help with someone else, and she was just that. He presses the envelope in her hands inside as a large amount of cash, enough that it doesn't just cover groceries. It moved the needle in her life. This is not a token gesture. This was not just catch up on my bills money, fixed a car money, breathed the first time a month's money. Right there in the store, all the carefully held together pieces started to shake. The mouth who keeps together for everyone else suddenly feels tears burning in her eyes because it's not just about the money. It's not

5:25feeling for her being seen. Seeing this more than just a person blocking the aisle with her kids in a full cart, seeing this more than someone who's just barely getting by. Seeing as a human who gives, even with her tank, is so far below empty. She learns that the man is someone we all know. While he walks in the ordinary places, it turns simple encounters in the life-changing moments of generosity. In this moment, he's just a simple man. But he's so much more. He's the answer to a prayer. She might not have even had the courage to say out loud. This story really hits home for me.

6:33It's super personal and super direct. I didn't tell the story to gain any recognition. I told the story. So each of you could have an opportunity to give. And I hope that you find it in your heart. To extend an act of kindness to someone that doesn't have to be financial, find a way to be kind, and I promise if you do, you'll help make the world a better place. Until next Monday, stay healthy, stay well, and stay out from my friends. Do take care.