Mercy.
Go!
Oh no! Somehow I just entirely erased the paragraph I had just typed! Tender Mercy, where are you now?!
I will try this again....
Eh hem, as I was saying before all was erased.....
I am at the mercy of all those around me. As I lug my kids from point A to point B, struggling to get them all out of the car and across the parking lot and into the grocery store or the gym or the church, all it takes is a little bit of understanding and mercy to make all the difference with even the slightest hardship. A gentle pat on the arm, a kind word, a smile. One day I was buying metro tickets to go downtown while trying to keep all three kids within arms reach. A happy man, probably not much older than myself, walked up to me and made light conversation. He commented on my little girl who was dancing around me so happily. I'm used to people being annoyed by the presence of my children in this bustling city (D.C.), and it was refreshing to find someone who seemed delighted by their presence. But, and here is what made this interaction absolutely remarkable, then he reached over and touched my shoulder kindly as he said goodbye and told me to have a great day. A simple touch from another human being - compassion, mercy, kindness - all reflected in a simple act. Another time I was boarding an airplane with my toddler who had just thrown a monumental tantrum in front of everyone who was going to be on our flight. I was exhausted, embarrassed, and worried about the upcoming five-hour flight. A kind, elderly woman reached across her seat into the aisle and kindly patted my arm and nodded with a gentle, understanding smile on her face. My heart melted. Compassion, mercy, kindness.
I am in a town that seems rather unfriendly at times. It is not like any place I have ever lived. We have lived in military towns, student towns, and small towns, all family-friendly. Suddenly I arrived in a town where children are not welcome at the grocery store. Sweet old ladies do not approach me and make chit-chat with my little ones, as they did in other towns. Rather, they scowl at me as I pass and shake their heads disapprovingly or make rude comments. It is amazing what experiences I have had since moving here. An old man honking and yelling obscenities at me in front of my children as I wait for a mother with her child to cross the street before making my right turn. An old lady hollering for me to get out of her way and that she doesn't like children as she approaches my family. A man in my neighborhood flatout telling me that I look too young to have so many children (I am a grown woman in my 30s; I have three children - nothing crazzzzy). Many experiences have floored me and made me wonder why everyone is so mean around here. I went to Hawai'i on a family vacation recently. Everyone we encountered was so warm and friendly and welcoming. I returned to my "heartless" town and decided I was going to be the change I wanted to see in the world, just as the famous quote directs us to do. If I couldn't live in a friendly town in Hawai'i, I would bring that friendliness to where I was. I saw that same elderly man that judges me for having so many kids, and while he usually walks away from us with his little dog, I smiled and called out to him with a friendly hello and asked if he minded if we pet his dog. And something happened. First he looked a little shocked, a little hesitant, but then... then he smiled, just a little. He moved over to us. He let the kids play with the dog. We made light conversation. It turns out he has been struggling with depression and loneliness since his daughter moved out for college and he underwent chemotherapy for some cancer that was found. We walked together for nearly 30 minutes. He joined us at the park that day. Now he stops to chat with us every time he sees us. I decided to keep it up. When people would scowl at me as I approached with my children, I would smile kindly and say hello or ask them how their day is going. Most everyone has received me in kind, although I did have an experience with one lady snapping back at me to not talk to her. It has been an interesting thing, though, seeing how you can be that kind smile, that warm touch, that compassion and mercy and kindness in somebody's world. And couldn't we all use a little more of that?
Stop.
