Thursday, July 9, 2015

A Sunshine Spirit

Yesterday's post got postponed for editing. Here it is:

July 8, 2015

Some people just make life better. Today I talked with a young woman who seems to have a perpetual smile on her face. she was attentive to her work, and to me. I had actually met her some months before and had noticed the slight limp as she walked back then, but as it was our first meeting, said nothing about it.

Today she commented that it was a bit more difficult than usual for her to do her job. It routinely requires her to get into a particular position to complete a certain task. "I need to be either taller or shorter," she commented, then mentioned that she was only six weeks out from her hip surgery. As she is quite young, I asked if it were congenital, and she said, "No, one day it just started deteriorating. The other one is just fine." As we talked further, she revealed that she has a four year old child. With no rings on her fingers, I assume she is raising that child alone, always a daunting challenge.

Before I went my way, I thanked her for her kindness and cheerful disposition, telling her that her cheerful spirit made my day more pleasant. She smiled and thanked me, and I left for home.

On the drive home, I got to thinking about her. Her job is honorable work, but I can't imagine it to be the best pay in the world. She is raising a four-year-old most likely all by herself, and probably has some significant medical bills from her surgery. Yet she smiles her way through the day with genuine cheer and kindness. In a culture that is continually offended by the smallest perceived slights, she could easily be bitter and complaining, but she is not. Kindness and civility are not to be taken for granted, and they are increasingly rare in public life. It's almost fashionable to complain. Both cheerfulness and grumpiness are contagious, and my own mood was heightened by this young woman who approached her job with joy, despite challenges of the sort that have taken lesser people out of the game. My day was brightened, and I am grateful for this young woman, whose inner light shined upon me today.

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