Just a Moment

On Monday, Zara didn't notice the little boy that was being picked on by the big kids at the bus stop.

On Tuesday, Zara didn't notice the young mom carrying two laundry baskets out of the laundromat.

On Wednesday, Zara didn't notice the wealthy man struggling to pick up his scattered papers as they blew in the wind.

On Thursday, Zara  didn't notice the homeless man sitting next to the trashcan eating an opened bag of chips.

On Friday, Zara wondered why no one helped her as she tripped on the cracked sidewalk. She glanced around the city, her city. Where she grew up: lived, loved, worked. She tried to find someone that could possibly notice what was happening. And finally she did notice.

She noticed the way that the young mom scolded the young school boys in only a way a mother could. The mother would never want her children to have to experience that kind of cruelty.

She noticed the way the homeless man grabbed a laundry basket from the young mom, as she turned towards the now opened door. If he had extra clothes, he would want them cleaned too.

She noticed the way the young boy who had been picked on, helped the wealthy man pick up all of his scattered belongings. He would hate if his homework was blowing in the wind.

She noticed the wealthy man give the now sitting homeless man a crisp twenty dollar bill. He would hope someone would do the same for him.

For a moment, all she could do was sit there. Sit in the same spot that she had fallen wondering why she had not noticed the things going on around her. Wondering why she had not acted, not taken just a moment, to realize that she was not the center of the world. She wondered why, instead of helping those around her, she chose to go to the same boring job just to do the same boring routine. She wondered why she didn't stop for just a second, to be kind.

And then there was a small hand reaching down. And a motherly voice asking her if she was alright. And another person picking up her lunch that she spilled. And still another grabbing her folder off the ground.

She took the hand, telling them she was okay, thanking them for helping her. And then she apologized for not doing the same. She apologized for being selfish.

Just take a moment to realize that other need help. Take a moment to realize that other people are searching for a hand. In a world like ours, with fear and stress controlling our lives, kindness is such a rare thing.

But kindness only takes just a moment.