Kindness

Sometimes I am blown away by some people’s actions. The other day I lost something of mine that was very dear to me. I was walking on the trail at work during lunch and in the course of taking off my jacket, I must have caught my beaded bracelet in the sleeve and it fell off without my noticing. I didn’t see it was gone until I had gotten back to the office. I was devastated to see it gone. I looked everywhere and even went back out to the trail to see if I could find it but I couldn’t take a lot of time as I was still “on the clock”. I remembered seeing a co-worker on the trail and I asked him if he saw it. The bracelet was not a fine piece of jewelry, but it had great sentimental value and I was heartbroken that I had lost it. Two days later the bracelet appeared on my desk. It was broken but most of it was there. Turns out the co-worker I had spoken to had been out on the trail the next day and found it. He brought it in and put it on my desk when I wasn’t there. I was so touched by his kindness.

We have worked together for about 5 years or so. In the time I have known him I have thought some pretty bad things about him as he a most sarcastic nature. He is constantly making snide comments about people and doesn’t seem to be able to be serious. He is always acting out and has the reputation of being the “class clown”. He is young, unmarried, a baby-daddy, and doesn’t seem to have a responsible bone in his body aside from doing his job somewhat dependably. You can always count on a joke from him and a silly picture since he always make a face when having his picture taken.

But recently I have seen a side of him that I didn’t know existed. He seems to have compassion, hiding under there with all his smirking and carrying on. He seems to have kindness below the surface. He seems to actually be a nice person if you can get past all the sarcastic barbs. Perhaps his child is making a change in him, or perhaps he is finally growing up. But whatever it is, it is a pleasure to see a person who really cares about others bubbling up to the surface.