Gratitude Groove

Saturday morning I left my house bright and early at 8 AM. I was headed toward Eden Prairie to take part in the Community Ed Cookie Bake with Rachel and two friends. This is the third or fourth year I have attended. As I was driving, I was listening to my usual women's talk radio station - FM 107. The topic was about getting into a 'Gratitude Groove' with a teammate/girlfriend and expressing gratitude EVERY SINGLE DAY for 40 days. The 40 days correlates to the idea that it take 40 days to change or form a habit.

I arrived in EP and followed my map quest direction to the same school the event is hosted at yearly. Somehow, I could not find where I needed to be. I ended up in an empty middle school parking lot at a locked door. I attempted to call Rachel on my cell phone. This was futile. My cell phone is on the blitz. I can hear the person on the other end, but they can't hear a word I say. I head back up the road to find a gas station and happen upon a small BP on Mitchell Road. There is actually a pay phone outside. I try to operate the system, but keep dropping and losing my coins in the snow. I can't figure out if I need to dial then drop coins or vice versa. I feel stupid I can't operate a pay phone in the cell phone world. I am about to be late and my anxiety level is on the rise.

I go inside the small store and a very kind looking man comes out from the back. I am grasping my cell phone and directions and fumble to explain my dilemma. Please can I use his phone? Yes! He gives me the phone and politely stands to the side as I call Rachel. While I am talking and scribbling directions, he silently put a fresh coffee in front of me. When I get off the phone, he proceeds to get out a map, and highlights where I need to go. I am overwhelmed by his kindness and desire to truly help me.

I was only a few minutes late to the correct entrance of the middle school (along a different street) and cookie bake went off with out a hitch. When I was done, I stopped back at the gas station and brought him some cookies.

I am grateful for the kindness of this stranger. These types of things happen less and less often. As a society, we also seek out help from strangers less and less often. Instead, we rely on technology to get us out of a fix or bind. I believe in kindness to strangers (and friends and family) and hope Marly and Dean will see this trait lived out in my actions. I hope I can instill in them the same goodness to others as was demenstrated to me on Saturday morning.

So today, in the blogger world... perhaps this is day ONE of expressing some gratitude. We will see...