He just wanted to buy some shoes
“I could not get him his shoes, he could only walk in his slippers”
She burst into tears.
I consolled my 18 year old daughter.
I was proud of her and her compassion for an elderly gentleman. The gentleman had phoned her in the call centre where she had just started as her summer job.
He needed some shoes.
He had told her he was living in the assisted living part of a nursing home. As they chatted he was quite adamant that she understood the difference. There were some shoes he had seen in the catalogue. These shoes would allow him to get to the recreation room and dining room. He hoped these shoes would be supportive and stop his feet from aching.
The shoes were necessary, he said, as the carers had moved his room further away from said rooms. His slippers were just not supportive enough. An x ray had been arranged to see what was happening with his feet as well.
My daughter chatted to him and all was well. This was until she asked him the postcode of the address the credit card was registered to. He could not remember. She asked if there was anyone who could help him. No there wasn’t.
He told her his niece had power of attorney. My daughter asked if he could get the information from his niece. Apparently his niece was caring for her poorly husband. The gentleman did not want to bother her. He asked could my daughter jog his memory. My daughter had to take a lot of deep breaths to keep herself from crying.
“I couldn’t put the payment through mum, what’s he going to do now?” I had no idea.
“If I could, I would have bought them for him myself”. She said.
My heart fell and swelled at the same time if that’s possible. I felt upset for the man who could not buy his shoes . My daughter and her kindness touched my heart.
She got a big hug and I teared up a bit as well!
“Perhaps you brought some joy to him by talking to him for half an hour today”. I said. She nodded.
Small Act of Kindness
Each of us will take a different message from the story.
My take home message is that, no matter who you are or where you are, a small act of kindness (a postcode in this case) can makes someone’s day – even if the outcome isn’t successful.
I would like to encourage you all to remember to perform one small act of kindness a day.
Its great for the recipient but its also fantastic for the giver. That warm fuzzy feeling we forget about when life gets in the way. A win-win for all involved.
The best bit is it does not have to be big gestures or involve extravagant gifts.
Its just one small act of kindness.
Let me know in the comments – what’s been your small act of kindness today?
