03 February 2016

.the kindness of strangers.


It's the greatest gift of traveling, the kindness of strangers. This morning just as I was getting ready to crack an egg in the skillet my gas went out. My stove and water heater all run off of butane gas. It's a small tank and when you run out you just returned it to a grocery store or gas stations for a full one. The only problem was the closest gas station is about 8 blocks away and I don't think the gas companies do one-time deliveries. I tried to decide if I could carry the tank the 8 blocks to the gas station, no way. Then I realize that I could use my bike to carry the tank. I had just made it around the corner from my house with the empty tank balanced on my bike and I was already struggling. A man was standing in his doorway looking at me "it's going to be very difficult to make it" he started telling me in Portuguese I respond back in Spanish, "I don't have any other options" we started problem solving in our Portuguese/Spanish exchange. He helped me prop up the tank in an easier way and I was off, but even with that improvement I could barely make it down the street. He was still watching and told me to wait. He came back with this odd metal contraption on wheels that was wrapped with a water hose. It was a gas tank holder! I made it to the gas station and back to my house in less than 10 minutes! I told him I couldn't of done it without his help when I returned it. He said anytime you need more gas just ring my bell and you can borrow it. The kindness of strangers. 

His kindness was such a beautiful reminder for me to put myself out there, be vulnerable and open to accepting love and kindness as it is given to me, unconditionally.

1 comment:

Sandra Dunn said...

Aw, thank God for people like that. :)