Spreading Kindness

The other day, I had a really bad day.  
One of those "what else can go wrong?" kind of days.

I left the house in the morning, with all of my kids, and a list of errands.
Taking 3 small kids out and about requires a lot of accessories:
stroller, diaper bag, snacks, sippy, shoes on, hair done, everyone go potty before we leave, etc.

I had an order to mail and several to deliver, and I wanted to let the boys run around the Tulip Festival for a while.
So, I delivered the first package, and we went to the tulip festival.  I figured we would stop by the post office after I let the boys play for a while.

On our way home, I couldn't find the package I was supposed to mail.
I thought to myself, "Seriously?  I left it on the counter and now I don't have time to go get it and make it to the post office before it closes.  That figures."

When we got home, I hauled everyone, and all of our accessories, inside and expected to see my package.

No package.

Now I'm a little worried.  

I'm sure I put it in the car with me earlier, which means...I must have left it on the roof of the car...which means...it is now on the side of the freeway somewhere.

Just great.  I wanted to cry.  I was tired, and had an appointment that night and had to re-make my order.

So I stayed up late re-making and packaging my order and cursing my own carelessness.  I have been leaving things on the roof of the car a lot lately.  

The next morning I got the kids up and ready to take Saxon to school, and the doorbell rang.
Weird.
Who stops by at 8:30 in the morning?

I answered the door and saw a man standing there.
"Are you cait + create?"

"Yes..."

He handed me a package.
"I saw this on the freeway and stopped and grabbed it.  Since it had an address, I thought I'd bring it back to you.  I hope it's not damaged."

I wasn't sure if I should cry with gratitude or hug him, so instead I thanked him profusely and told him how he had just made my whole day!  What a wonderful act of kindness!

I then took Saxon to school and told the boys about this kind man and how we should try to always be kind to others.

When I picked him up, his teacher told me that Saxon had done a "good deed" in school that day.  The kids went outside to have snack and play and Saxon found a cell phone.  He showed his teacher and she took him to the lost and found to turn it in and told him how the owner of that phone is going to be so grateful for Saxon's good deed. :)

I have been looking for opportunities to show kindness to others.  It's a win-win situation.  It feels wonderful if someone is kind to you, and it feels wonderful to go out of your way to be kind to someone else.  I hope this is something that I can continually teach my children.