Aesop, the ancient Greek fabulist, famously said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”  I was rushing through Home Depot for fountain pumps when I was unexpectedly greeted by a cat INSIDE the store.  Of course I stopped to visit and was thrilled to see the employees had been kind enough to apparently let the kitty stay.  The ear nick clearly marked that s/he had been “fixed”.  I also noticed s/he had a hurt leg and prayed it wasn’t permanent.  Before leaving I wanted to thank someone but I was too afraid to draw attention to the feline for fear s/he would be ousted.  I do know that animal was being sheltered because of the kindness of at least ONE person.  One person CAN make a difference.  EACH of us matter.  Next I went to my doctor’s for a physical.  As I waited to sign in I saw the back of one of her receptionist’s heads and could not help but laugh out loud.  It was right before Valentine’s and she was wearing a headband with red sparkly hearts that goggled wildly back and forth.  What made it so funny was they wouldn’t stop even when she wasn’t moving.  Staring in rapt fascination, I noticed she was also wearing blindingly hot pink shoes.  She then turned around and smiled and I was still laughing.  Seeing her grinning made me laugh even more.  In turn, her smile broadened and there was a cheeky twinkle in her eyes.  What a joy to see a grown woman happy enough to be silly and spread cheer on a holiday that sometimes seems exclusive to lovers.  It was infectious (no pun intended) and soon she had her other coworkers laughing as well.  Dubbing her the “Love Bug”, I got to see her again when I checked out.  I told her I was going to tell everyone I caught a bug at the doctor’s and then together we both said, “a LUV bug!”  I spent a lot of time in hospitals the last several years of my mother’s life; it holds a sadness for me I cannot easily shake.  But for this day, this woman allowed me to forget and to be joyful.  One woman wearing a genuine smile and wibbly hearts on a sparkly headband and a hurt kitty who just wanted to be patted both brought unexpected happiness to my heart.  Each one of us affects someone every day and we may never even know it.  A smile costs nothing from its giver but could be priceless to its receiver.  Aesop’s words hold as true today as when they were written more than two millennia ago:

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

Choose kindness; choose smiles.