Holiday Kindness

I go walking at the mall on most Wednesdays before the shoppers come. There are a lot of seniors who do the same thing and we sometimes bump into friends. Although Art prefers walking outside, I like walking in the air conditioned mall, avoiding the hot sun. I know, I know. I'm a wuss.

For several months, I'd noticed a woman who was always there walking on her own but going clockwise. I'd say 95% of the walkers go counter clockwise. I don't know why; that's just the way it is. I would therefore bump into her every time we made a lap and smile, laugh, nod or joke with her. Eventually, I introduced myself and learned her name was Mary.

Last week, Mary stopped me as I was walking with my friend, Diane and said she wanted to give me a present. She had bracelets she'd made and let me choose which one I wanted. She noticed Diane then and told her to choose too. Diane declined the kind offer at first but was encouraged to select one which she happily did.

Isn't it beautiful? I can still hardly believe it.

Diane took a photo of us together. I told Diane I wouldn't use the photo for my blog, but she suggested I use it, but blur out Mary's face like I usually do. Great idea. When I showed my daughter the photo she said, "You're both matching, mom. People are so nice in Hawaii."


It's true that I meet nice people everywhere I go in Hawaii, but Mary is extra nice.