"Look what you did!" My anger was evident as I pointed to the ding in the car parked next to us at the pool. We were running late for swim lessons and in my haste I failed to catch the door as the kids swung it open and into the Malibu. The scratch was small and probably would buff out but I felt horrible that it had happened as the car looked shiny and new. I was super frustrated and asked the lady at the desk if she had any idea who the car belonged to. She didn't but offered a paper and pen if I wanted to leave a message. I didn't now quite what to write but ended with something my Father always says, "Let me know what we need to do to make it right." I quickly scribbled a note on a post-it and stuck it to her window fearing the call that might come.
By evening the incident had been forgotten when I recieved a phone call. I didn't recognize the numer and let it go to voice mail; it was the owner of the Malibu. As I listened to the voice mail I expected the worst. My nervousnous was unfounded as the message was entirely positive. She was so impressed that we had left a note and even said, "it is the nicest thing that happened to me all Summer." After having a busy day I melted and started to cry. It is rare in life that doing the right thing (especially when it is so embarassing) is so sweetly rewarded and her kind words were much needed that day.
So the next time you have one of those odd experiences with a starnger just remember that a little kindness goes a long way. As for my four-year-old, I'm really relived that I didn't scold him harshly because if he hadn't opened that door into that other car I would have missed out on a truly sweet experience.
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