Since becoming a mother I’ve been privy to an awesomely open and welcoming community that exists in Toronto. A community where strangers will approach me and my baby boy with delightful smiles, hellos and waves (for my son, of course); a community where lighthearted colloquy and friendly gestures become contagious.
A few months ago, a stranger (a fellow mother), put a smile on my face with a small act of kindness. I was at a baby store with my husband and my five month-old son, looking for infant sunglasses for an upcoming trip we were taking. My husband and I were amusingly testing out sunglasses on our son (babies in sunglasses are uber cute!), but unfortunately none of them fit him. Another mother who was in the store with her son (of a similar age) came over and started up conversation with us. After several minutes of talking about our kids and travel, she told us to hold on, as she had some infant sunglasses in her car, that she would gladly retrieve for us to try on. She fetched the sunglasses, which were still in the original packaging with the price tag, and handed them to us. They fit our little guy perfectly. We gave them back to her and made note of the brand, but she told us to take them, saying that her son wore them briefly during their recent travels but wasn’t likely to wear them again. We offered to pay, but she said there was no need and we could have them. It was a nice gesture that shed a glimmer of kindness and generosity that exists in what sometimes feels like a big, hurried, individualistic city.
We went on our trip and our little guy wore those cute sunglasses every day. As we soaked in the warmth and glory of the sunshine, my husband and I relished every moment of seeing our baby grin and giggle from behind his shades. It’s beautiful what a small act of kindness from a stranger can do for others. 🙂 Thanks!
1000 Ways to Help the World 