Never Underestimate the Kindness of Strangers

One of the most famous lines in American theatre comes near the end of Tennessee Williams's classic play A Streetcar Named Desire: "I have always depended upon the kindness of strangers."

This past week, after traveling through airports around the country for two consecutive weeks, wearing a ball cap pulled low to hide my hair which was badly in need of washing, I found myself exhausted and sitting alone in an airport terminal, waiting to board my next flight. Frankly, I was just trying to sink down into my chair and disappear for a little while. I really wasn't in the mood to make conversation.

A moment later, a friendly voice asked, "Are you a mother?"

I looked up a bit startled, and I saw a Delta airline employee gazing down at me with a smile. I managed to nod "yes," and she looked me in the eye and said warmly, "Happy Mother's Day this coming weekend!"

What had begun as a day when I was struggling just to "make it through" was suddenly made much brighter by a random act of kindness from a stranger. This woman, whose name I learned was Angela, spoke with me for several minutes. I learned she was working three jobs to support her children. I gradually began to feel a simultaneous sense of gratitude and guilt. I felt gratitude for my many blessings which I hadn't been "counting" that day due to a bit of self-pity caused by physical and mental exhaustion, but I also felt guilt when I was reminded that no matter how hectic my life may seem, there are others all around me who are facing challenges more daunting than mine. And yet one of those strangers, Angela, had taken the initiative to walk over and offer me a kind word.

Every day, we encounter strangers. For those of us working in senior living communities, they may be newly hired associates, new residents and their family members, or any number of vendors and volunteers who cross our paths regularly. We would do well to remember how our own kind actions and words can turn around someone's day in a moment. We can all appreciate the kindness of strangers. And whether we realize it or not, to some extent we rely on their kindness. A stranger may offer us a job opportunity; one day, we may even discover a kind stranger holding our hand during a difficult moment.

A life lived in isolation and motivated by self-interest is an empty life indeed. If we live our lives this way, we may miss out on meeting kind strangers like Angela who are all around us; we may deprive ourselves of key moments to allow the kindness of strangers to brighten our day with an uplifting word or a gracious gesture. But more importantly, we may miss the opportunity to be that kind stranger for someone else. That, after all, should be our goal.