GRAND Fall 2021

GRANDparenting
A Little Kindness
Goes a Long Way
Many years ago, when my sons
were in grade school, much
to their displearsure, I ran an
errand after picking them up at the
end of the school day. All they wanted
to do was get home and relax. The
fact that I dragged them along on my
errand didn’t sit well with either of
them, so they both moped and brooded
in the back seat, their silence a
clear indication of their annoyance.
While waiting at a red light, my attention
was drawn to an old man who
was crossing the street in front of my
car and going at an agonizingly slow
pace. He was thin and hunched over
and reminded me of a bent stick. I was
amazed he could walk without toppling
over!
I could see he was struggling with
two bags of groceries and I saw that
the direction he was headed in would
take him up a hill. Thinking about
how difficult that would be for him, I
pulled my car alongside and offered
him a ride. He gratefully accepted
even though it was apparently only a
few more blocks to his apartment.
After we dropped him off, my sons
asked why I had picked him up. They
were impatient to get home and were
in no mood to share their ride with a
complete stranger. They knew I had
a soft spot when it came to elderly
people, but rather than remind them
of that, I replied, “Because when I’m
a hunched-over old woman, I hope
someone will stop and help me.” That
not only stifled their complaining, but
it also gave them something to think
about on the ride home.
Fast forward 25 years to when I
found myself standing on a street corner
this past Christmas, supporting
my six-year-old grandson as he belted
out Christmas carols by himself from
a songbook in an effort to raise money
for the local food bank. His desire
to do something for all the families
affected financially by Covid-19 far
outweighed his natural inclination to
avoid attention. Watching him screw
up his courage and perform such an
act of kindness warmed my heart.
In an hour of non-stop caroling, he
raised $273 for the local food bank. His
efforts were rewarded with a tour of
the food bank where he saw firsthand
how the money he had earned would
be used.
20 Grand grandmag.ca