February 9, 2014

Yesterday, en route to work, I stopped at my usual sandwich shop. Before I placed my order, the sandwich maker complimented me as one of his best customers, thanked me for my continued patronage, and further insisted my meal was on him. My polite decline was defeated by his sharing of a couple of past instances in which my gratuity helped him, after finishing his long, late-night shift, encountering gasoline issues and the like. I graciously accepted his generosity, honored by his kind and considerate gesture, and after receiving my lunch, continued to work, feeling positive, thankful.

This isn't self-approbation, I assure, nor is it simply a free sandwich. I relate this in recognition of a person's kindness, offered freely and without expectation or pretense, leaving me at once impressed and humbled. I hope we would all do as much for each other.