"Small Acts of Kindness" really made me think outside the box. Dr Max is right, "it takes nothing to be nice".
I was in New Zealand in January visiting my son and grandson. I only had a small amount of cash on me as we stopped for a drink and cake, but the shop wouldn't take cards. As I counted out my coins and realized I needed $2 more to pay for the cake, two boys waiting on bikes behind me observed this scene and one boy spoke up, "I can pay the extra amount." It shocked me that a boy who didn't even know me could be so kind. I politely refused his offer and just had the drink, but I thanked him a lot.
I "paid this forward" when I arrived in the UK. This expression for describing the beneficiary (受益者) of a good deed repaying the kindness to others instead of the original benefactor (although the concept may be old) may have been coined by Lily Hardy Hammond in her 1916 book, In the Garden of Delight. At the chemist's, a young lady didn't have enough cash to pay for a hair band that her daughter was keen to have, so I paid the bill for her. It was only £2.99 but it made me feel good about myself and I hope it also made this mum and daughter's day!
With tiny gestures, we can give people a reason to keep on living. I intend to do this much more in the future.
