It’s not a work of art, this scrap of paper, but it is the picture of kindness.  We were going to Pismo Beach. When we got close to shore, we saw that we would have to pay. We didn’t have a lot of time, so sitting in neutral, thought about just going on (the luxury of beaches in California). On his way out, an elderly man drove up next to us, signaling me to roll down my window. I did. He gave me his pass. “Just tape it to your windshield,” he said. The thank you’s rolled out of my smile. It wasn’t about the money. We could have paid, of course. But the thing is, he didn’t know that. And he gave us his pass. I taped my restored faith in humanity to the windshield, and we saw the most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen, because it was lit with kindness.

We are in a period of time where hatred seems to be front and center. You can’t tell me that it’s normal. How? When, did this become OK???? It’s all around. It’s shouted through social media, on t-shirts, and face to face. We have to be better than this. We have to be the knock on the random window that passes along kindness. Please let me be that hand. May we all be that hand.

The tape will fade. The note will drop from the window. But the kindness will last. It is glued to my heart.