A Little Kindness Along the Way

August – Week Four

A Little Kindness Along the Way

Welcome.

Pull up a chair for a little while. The coffee’s warm, the porch is quiet, and there’s always room for one more neighbor.

This week found me back out on the road again, making another pet transport run.

Thankfully, the weather cooperated beautifully. Every destination along the way gave me pleasant weather, which is always something to be grateful for when you’re spending so many hours behind the wheel.

When you travel as much as I do, you begin to realize that the little moments along the way can sometimes become the ones you remember.

This week, mine happened in Wisconsin.

I stopped for a cup of coffee.

Nothing particularly exciting about that, right?

Except there was a gentleman standing in line behind me who offered to pay for my coffee.

It was such a simple gesture.

I thanked him, of course, but as I walked out the door with my coffee in hand, I found myself thinking about how much a small act of kindness can mean.

I’ve always liked the idea of paying it forward.

Every now and then, I’ll buy someone’s coffee, pay for an order from the car behind me in a drive-through, help someone who needs a hand, or simply do something kind without expecting anything in return.

It’s not about the size of the gesture.

It’s about reminding someone that there are still people willing to be kind to one another.

So, having someone do that for me was humbling.

It reminded me that sometimes we’re the person offering the kindness, and sometimes we’re the person who needs to receive it.

Both are blessings.

After several days on the road, I was finally able to spend a couple of days at home.

Of course, “being home” doesn’t necessarily mean sitting still around here.

I had soap to work on, labels to print, and I finally got my solid dish soap gift sets put together and added to the Country Bathworks website.

There’s something satisfying about seeing an idea that started in my head finally become something I can put on a shelf and share with someone else.

Those little milestones still excite me.

Before I know it, I’ll be heading back out for one more pet transport route before the end of the month.

And then…

September arrives.

That means fall vendor season is officially upon us.

I’ve already begun preparing for the busy weeks ahead, and my first event will be in Ozark, Missouri on August 30th.

The change of seasons always seems to bring a change of pace around here.

Summer has been filled with long stretches on the road, soap making, and getting ready behind the scenes.

Now I’ll be packing the van with handmade products, setting up tables, visiting with customers, and seeing many of the familiar faces I’ve met along this journey.

I’m looking forward to it.

As I think back over this past week, I’m reminded that life is made up of so many different pieces.

A long road.

A cup of coffee.

A stranger’s kindness.

A couple of quiet days at home.

A new product finally making its way onto the website.

And the anticipation of a new season just around the corner.

None of those things seem particularly extraordinary by themselves.

But put them together, and they become a pretty good week.

Maybe that’s what I’m learning to appreciate more as I get older.

We don’t always need something big or exciting to happen.

Sometimes a good week is simply one where we notice the little things.

So, wherever you are this week, I hope you’ll look for one small opportunity to be kind to someone.

Buy a cup of coffee.

Hold a door.

Offer a helping hand.

Or simply smile at someone who looks like they could use one.

And if someone happens to do something kind for you…

Let yourself receive it.

Then carry that kindness with you and pass it along when you get the chance.

I would like to use this little moment to wish my oldest son Andrew the best Happy Birthday.

Each year on this day, I still have the memory of the night he was born.

My mother‘s birthday was the following day.

For years prior to her passing in 2012, she would always remind me that I couldn’t wait two more minutes to give birth, so he could be born on her birthday.

Even though she gained her wings 14 years ago, the memory still puts a smile on my face.

Until next Friday…

May your coffee be warm, your travels be safe, and may you encounter a little kindness along the way.

— Your neighbor in the Ozarks,

Sherry

Country Bathworks