On Kindness

Traveling can be stressful-- I wish I just rolled with it better, but I lose my patience and get tired of being the grown up sometimes!  We went on a quick trip to ID a few weeks ago.  We were stopped at a McDonald's in a gas station in Lindon, UT.  We were hurrying to make it to an appointment and had only 20 minutes. We had been traveling 4 + hours-- and the trip had been full of fighting, whining, throwing up, peed pants, and general car discomfort.  As we sat in the Restaurant, I could feel my thin line of patience crumbling.  The kids were not focused on eating.  They were just so happy to be out of the car, Preston was enamored with his swivel seat and Rebekah wanted to talk about everything she could see instead of eating her food. 

Burke and I, quietly at first, kept asking them to get back on task.  "Please eat, we only have a few minutes" or  "Please sit down and hold still; eat so you won't be hungry during our appointment!"  Very soon however, since we had no satisfactory response, I could feel my blood pressure rising.  "EAT" I said more loudly with  all pretense of patience gone from my voice.  I physically stopped the spinning stool.  "NOW!"  I was getting more frustrated; they were more distracted than ever!  The scene continued-- for at least ten minutes--and the frustrated Parents started looking more and more flustered and stressed to anyone who may have been observing. 

A little old gentleman quietly approached our table.  "Oh No," I thought my defenses already rising.  I was sure he was coming to reprimand us--to "remind" us to be more loving and gentle with our children.  Instead he caught me off guard with the kindest act.  His hand was behind his back and winked at me and addressed Burke.  "I have been watching your family for the last several minutes" he stated.  "And I noticed . . ." I was sure of what he had noticed.  I looked away embarrassed.  "  . . .I noticed that you didn't get your beautiful wife a flower today.  But I have you covered-- I have one you could give her.  Tomorrow you will be on your own, but today I can help you."  He then presented Burke with sweet little rosette that he had fashioned out of a few paper napkins.   He smiled and walked away.  But his kindness lingered.  I felt no rebuke. Only the wisdom of a kind stranger who knew that kindness can diffuse tense situations and remind us to see people as people and treat them as such.  Our lunch finished with calm and peace restored. 

As we walked out to the parking lot, Rebekah asked me why the man had given me a flower.  I began to cry a little as I said, "He was reminding us how much we love each other." I was and still am grateful for his gentle reminder.  I have thought of it many times over the last few weeks.  I felt the love of my Savior in that moment.  I was inspired to try harder, to be a little kinder, to judge and criticize less, and most important to lead by example.  It is the most perfect way to teach.