I’ve Eaten Icecream The Last 7 Days
A Tiny Life Moment: A Random Person Bought My Icecream
The Moment
For the last seven days, I have gone to Marble Slab Creamery and got my favorite cotton candy ice cream with gummy bears and sprinkles. But today, something intriguing happened. A random lady asked me what ice cream concoction I was having them make for me, and I kindly conveyed its cotton candy! I’ve been getting the same damn ice cream since I was a kid. Anyways, I kindly asked the lady what flavor she was getting put together, and she said chocolate with Reece’s peanut butter cups. Solid choice. You can’t go wrong with chocolate or Reece’s. The cashier then started checking the lady out, and she told the cashier, “I’ll get hers, too.”
Reflection
Inside my head, I was like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! A random lady paid for my ice cream! I immediately tried to think of ways to repay her.
I failed.
Instead, I told her thank you; I told her thank you so many times, she probably thought I was a freak, and then I walked out to my car without having to spend one single dollar.
It wasn’t about the money she spent on me or the money I saved, though. It was the fact that a woman I barely know, a woman whose personal story I am ignorant of, a woman from a completely different background than me took the time to ask me what ice cream I was getting and then paid for it.
She left quite an impact on me. It was such a random act of kindness for such a simple thing. She didn’t have to do it, but she did.
From this unknown lady’s random act of kindness, I was reminded of five things.
Lessons
Lesson 1 — Receive Blessings: I think many of us often have issues receiving blessings. I know I do at times. I feel at odds when people give to me; I feel I need to repay them immediately. “I must repay my debt — in full!” Is what I often think. When in reality, I only need to accept my blessings. I often give to others without expectation. So, when people give to me, it’s one way the universe is saying, “Hey Destiny, here’s a gift for your generosity.” I have to remember to receive gracefully and remind myself that I can receive without seeking repayment simultaneously. There is nothing more genuine and beautiful than witnessing a gracious and grateful person receive from a generous giver.
Lesson 2 — My One “Thank You” Is Enough: I don’t know if I will ever stop, but I often say thank you hundred times when someone does something kind for me. Okay, not one hundred times, but enough to be considered plenty. Do I not place value on my thank you? Maybe not. But today, I was reminded that my one “thank you” is good enough, and I don’t have to say it multiple times in an effort to repay the giver.
Lesson 3 — Continue Giving: It felt absolutely f*cking amazing to get my ice cream paid in full by someone I don’t even know. This beautiful and simple act will leave a lasting impact on me; I will never forget her simple and random act of kindness. Her generosity challenged me to give to someone randomly whom I don’t know. Her generosity touched my soul, added healing to my heart, and clarified my mind. It was such a glass-full experience. Generosity is contagious.
Lesson 4 — Random Acts of Kindness: Why don’t more people do more for people they don’t know? It’s easy to be kind to others. It’s easy to pay for the person’s meal behind us in the drive-thru. So why don’t we do more of it? Here are three reasons I feel we don’t engage in more random acts of kindness: 1. We forget we can give to others, 2. We forget to give to others, 3. We get too encapsulated in our lives to care about others on a more personal level.
Lesson 5 — Take Action: There is still plenty of day left. If you can, make an effort to do a random act of kindness for someone today. It will not only leave a lasting impact on that person, but it will leave a lasting and positive impact on you. Also, whatever you give, always comes back to you 10 fold. So be a giver; it’s even more fun and enjoyable than receiving.
Destiny S. Harris is a writer, poet, entrepreneur, teacher, and techie who offers free books daily on amazon. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, or @ destinyh.com
There is parable about writing in the sand because the waves will erase the writing of your emotions or anger that one must release from one's inner spirit!
Remember that blessings come when you do not have your hands balled in a fist!