scrumping

I guess some people have been so hurt/damaged by events in their past, that they are suspicious of kindness. I encounter this from time to time - people unwilling to give the benefit of the doubt; people who daren't risk the possibility that someone is being nice. And if things have been hitherto tough, then it's going to take a whole lot of kindness to be worth taking the risk for. My Dad inspired me the other day by telling me of someone he persisted for years with, saying hello and being ignored, until one day the man said hello back.

In a warm and friendly tone, I tried to strike up a conversation with an unknown person the other side of my garden wall, who was picking apples from my tree. I could just see a tiny bit of her, so said hi, and how glad I was that someone was making use of the apples as I'd not managed to pick any from my side. I imagine she was embarrassed at being spotted taking apples from my tree, so jumped into her car and drove off, which is a shame - I genuinely wanted her to make good use of my apples. Now I shall have to try and find time to climb it myself.

I saw this from Dodinsky the other day and like the challenge:

"Never deny or waste an opportunity to be kind to others, even if some people have been unkind to you. The two are not related."

Busy day at work today but I'll be on the lookout for opportunities to be as kind as I can to everyone I encounter. It's a fun and uplifting way to be :D