“True strength comes from love that produces gentleness, which in turn creates miracles.”
Laura Lane from ‘I Touch the Heavens‘
All week I have been thinking about gentleness and how it ties to love and kindness. Every time I have tried to sit down and write something about it, I have come up blank. It may be because I am under the weather, fighting a cold. Maybe I will simply be gentle with myself and share something I wrote a long time ago, a poem about kindness. A poem in four parts – four stories. I hope it will remind you of times when you have gone out of your way to help others and brought a smile to their face.
1
In the mid-nineties
at a bus stop
downtown Victoria
westerly wind blowing in from the pacific
a damp cold February
She recognized him from the soup kitchen
he stood there fumbling with his jacket
just couldn’t get the zipper done up
A smaller man
at least a head shorter than her
probably twice her age
his hands shaking
smiling she offered to help
he seemed more like a school boy
when she crouched down to do up the zipper
He thanked her and they talked
she didn’t understand much of what he said
His delusions made it hard to follow his line of thought
He told her of his idea
a jet powered space pack
He needed someone to type out his plans
so he could send them off to NASA
He seemed so pleased to talk about it
she agreed to take it home and type it out
It didn’t make an ounce of sense
but she typed every word
just to see him smile
2
Twenty years ago in Edmonton
it was afternoon rush hour
the crush of university students
business men and women,
and shoppers jostling to get off the bus
and into the warmth of Safeway
He stood on the corner of Whyte Ave
and ninety-seventh street
in the middle of the crowd
almost in the way
offering his stack of Our Voice Magazines for sale
No one looked
they just skirted around
eyes down
eyes looking away
she couldn’t help but notice him standing there
invisible to all around him
those not wanting to see what was painfully obvious
She drove through that intersection
parked and walked back to that invisible man
Tall, native, long hair, ragged coat
arms clutching thin freshly printed magazines
not expecting to be acknowledged
She stood before him
asking for one of his magazines
ten dollars outstretched in exchange
disbelief passed over his face
looking at her strangely
She spoke up
“I’d like to buy your magazine”
pressing the money into his hand
finally he smiled
and handed her the sheets of paper
He looked at her like she was an apparition
She was sure no one had spoken to him all day
she held onto his smile as tightly as she clutched the paper he sold her
3
A dozen summers ago
in downtown Toronto
she had just come out of Roy Thompson Hall
thousands of people pressing out onto the street
to make their way to buses, subway stations and car parks
A young man in his twenties
sitting against the low wall
hand outstretched
cup held out
There was something about his kind eyes
that drew her in
Stopping, she had to
fish for change
crouching down
looking him in the eye
placing the bills in his hand
not in the cup
touching his hand
Wishing him well
smiling, he smiled back
thanking her
genuine thanks
smiling again
feeling connected
walking away
4
She can’t even remember how many winters ago
the downtown skyscrapers
channeling the bitter cold westerly wind
right through her down filled jacket
she couldn’t help but notice
there was a little elderly Asian man
Grey hair and old thin grey overcoat
shuffling his feet
shuffling forward
penny please
extra penny please
broken English
shuffling back
his cold hands outstretched
no gloves
As the snow blew between the buildings
standing just down the street from
the King Edward Hotel
she met his eyes
“sorry I don’t have anything
only a smile today
Please have a good day”
He doesn’t understand
doesn’t hear her good wishes
As her small group continued on their way
she noticed a small shop
she ran inside and bought 5 pairs of gloves
she asked her family to please wait
as she ran back to find the man
she wanted to give him the gloves
but he had moved on
she hoped he held onto her smile for him
it was the only thing she was able to give him that day.
What opportunities do you have to make someone smile?
“Do not underestimate the power of gentleness. Gentleness is strength wrapped in peace
L.R. Knost
and therein lies the power to change the world.”