Acts of Care and Kindness - Part 3

The ATM at the Chase Bank cannot be approached without walking past the Handicapped Parking Area. After parking my car, and walking in that direction, I noticed a woman getting out of her car. She was about ten yards ahead of me and I realized she would be able to reach the ATM line before I would. When I passed the rear of her car, I noticed on the back window the name Miguel, under which there were a couple of dates. One read 1992, then the dash, and the other was 2008. (1992-2008). Her son Miguel, I reasoned, had died at age 16.

As I was standing next to her, waiting our turns, I said, “You have had a very sad loss.” She looked at me, not sure of what I said. “Your son died. That is so sad,” I repeated. Then she understood.

“Yes, one year ago.” And I saw tears pooling in her eyes. “There is nothing more heartbreaking,” I said. “Oh, it is terrible,” she replied, and then she it was her turn to move to the ATM. Our grief session was over.

When it was my turn to move to the machine, I began to punch in my numbers, but I heard her say ‘good-bye’ as she moved back to her car. I took it as a clue that I had touched her heart in a good way. In 60 seconds her heart had been touched, and mine had been blessed.

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