by Christopher Howard

Created on: March 06, 2009   Last Updated: March 16, 2009

Just the other day an elderly man was walking into a local convenience store. He was short, slightly slouching, and walking very slow. Behind him was a lady in her twenties walking rapidly to get into the store while her car was getting filled with gas. As the elderly gentleman reached for the door the lady swiftly grabbed the door and nearly knocked over the man. The man surprised by this, politely said "excuse me miss." Shortly after, as the woman was walking toward the door to leave the store, at the same time the man she almost rudely knocked over was politely holding the door for her with a smile.

Why was the elderly man so polite to a person who was so rude to him? Perhaps his age and life experience has taught him that being kind feels better internally than giving an impolite person a taste of their own medicine. Or he may have been brought up with these values. Either way we can only hope that it was a lesson to the young lady.

Simple acts of kindness do go a long way. They are even more defining when done in situations where a more appropriate response would seem to be an act of vengeance. The example above shows us that by holding the door for the woman, the man was willing to show her kindness in hope that it will make a good impression on her. This passive gesture was small, simple, and yet it likely had a big impact on the woman.

Other healthy acts of kindness are as simple as letting someone go ahead of you in the grocery line or letting someone have your seat on the bus. Not only do these acts of kindness make an impact on the people that receive it, but also the people who witness it. It is especially rewarding when someone immediately reciprocates the kindness with a smile and a "thank you."

So what are "healthy acts of kindness?" First we must examine the motives for one's kindness. When one person holds the door for the other person, are they doing it without prejudice? Or was it only done for an attractive woman or a well known celebrity, and the door gets shut on the sweet elderly man slowly walking behind.

Perhaps the greatest acts of kindness ever done may never be known to anyone. The real acts of kindness are done by people not looking for recognition but internal reward. For example, people who anonymously place a hundred dollar bill in the collection plate at church, or the lady who stops to let an elderly person have the parking space closest to the mall, or the elderly gentleman who holds the door for the young lady at the convenience store. One small act of kindness can inspire others to be kind to you.

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