My Two Cents on Kindness

Author's Note:  I don't write a lot besides poetry, because it's what I'm comfortable with, but today I stepped out of my comfort zone to share this piece that I wrote.  I composed this at about 9:00 last night.  My eyes were sleepy, but my mind and heart were awake with this moment.  

Tonight I experienced true kindness.  Not that fake stuff we tend to use at school or in the workplace. The kind that only comes by once in awhile, like a shooting star.  It happened when my Dad and I were leaving Office Max.  We came up to an intersection where we had to turn right.  My Dad has a small truck and the roads were icy and slushy.  Get the picture?  Let me paint it for you.  We could not turn because the tires were spinning.  I noticed the two blinding heights of a minivan behind us.  My dad let out a curse under his breath and tried again, but he still spun.  I got a little nervous, because I’m just a nervous person, but that’s beside the point.  I watched puzzled as my dad cracked his door and motioned his hand for the guy to go around.  The van backed up and pulled up next to us.  I expected a few curses, or rude gestures but instead the man rolled down his passenger window.  My dad followed suit with the same confused expression as I.  I felt the sharp winter air as the man behind the wheel spoke.  He said a few words that made spread genuine warmth through my body.  He asked if we were alright and if we’d make it home okay.  My heart flipped as my dad replied with a “Nah, we’ll be fine, thanks”.  With a quick wave both windows were up and the moment was over as quickly as it had started.  The van pulled away.  My Dad backed up and with a bit more spinning and effort we made the turn.  Even though we left that intersection, that moment has not left my mind.  That man could have pulled away not caring at all about us, but he took the time to stop, and ask.  I don’t know that man and I probably never will.  I don’t know if he lives a hectic life, if he has a wife, if he has kids, if he lives alone.  None of that mattered, he showed genuine kindness to complete strangers and I still feel warm inside from that stranger who took time out of his life to be concerned about ours.