The Kindness Of A Stranger
73The Kindness of a Stranger
The kindness of a stranger
Is hard to find these days;
We don’t connect, by words or touch;
We avoid a lingering gaze.
It’s uncommon for the offering
Of an extended hand or two;
The extra mile; the soft, sweet smile,
Is lost between me and you.
But, that wasn’t the case on that crisp winter morn,
When, through the airport crowd I sought,
A girl or a boy who could take the toy:
The Christmas snow globe I had bought.
As I tried to explain that I’d soon miss my plane,
Because the globe was forbidden to fly;
You heard my frustration; the strong condemnation,
You understood, without needing to ask, “Why?
The gift in my bag would make someone happy;
I was relieved, I could give it away.
But, to my great surprise, it was I with the prize:
The kindness you showed me that day.
Instead of keeping the globe you would mail it back,
“Is there an address?” was what you asked me.
An option like this quickly filled me with bliss;
My emotions had me too blind to see.
So, off I went then, my money well spent;
The postage a mere nominal price.
For a stranger that day to make contact this way,
Was a kindness beyond ‘being nice’.
By: Denise Handlon
January 5, 2011
All rights reserved and any reproduction of this poem is strictly forbidden except through the expressed written permission of the author.
The Events Leading to this Poem
The events that led to the writing of this poem occurred on Tuesday, December 28th, 2010. It was just two days following the heavy snowstorms that hit the Midwest, crippling airports for three days and making a mess of holiday travel plans.
I was among the many, wading my way through the lines of security, when I was stopped, my suitcase searched, and a beautiful snow globe was removed. I had not considered the globe as a weapon of danger when I packed it that morning or I would have mailed it instead.
Rather than give up the globe to the hands of the TSA guards, I chose to step out of the line and return to the common area in hopes of finding a grateful recipient for the gift that I had intended for my nephew.
A previous hub described the situation and consequences. It is linked here under the hub name:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Travel-Woes-In-December
The comments left in that hub indicate that the majority of the people believed in the Spirit of Christmas and the positive outcome of the snow globe left in the hands of a stranger. I am delighted to report, as promised, that the globe did indeed arrive safe and sound. My nephew was surprised by the belated Christmas gift he received Monday, January 3, 2011. This beautiful, musical globe that depicts Santa stooped from his bag of presents, pushing through ‘the snow’, a faithful dog barking at his side, sits on display-a reminder that Christmas is in the hearts of people everywhere, year round.
Good Night.
Additional Holiday Hubs
- It's a Wonderful Life !
What do George Bailey, Russian Tea Cakes, and Chinese food have in common? It is all part of our familys Christmas traditions. Russian Tea Cakes My mother handed the recipe down for... - Christmas in North Carolina
In the beautiful state of North Carolina we are fortunate to have both the east coast ocean view and the mountains, on the west side of the state. While most towns and cities have their own listing of... - Travel Woes in December
On December 28th I woke at 3:30 a.m. to prepare for the drive to Detroit Metro Airport. My flight was scheduled to leave at 7:05 a.m. and I wanted an early start, anticipating the long lines through security....
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Beautiful poem. Very well written and wonderful end to the story!
The globe is beautiful Denise. I remember reading your dilemma in the other hub you wrote. The poem is so well written describing your feelings. I'm glad everything turned out okay for you.
Hello everyone, Yes, it did turn out just perfectly, didn't it? It is very uplifting to believe and trust in mankind. I wanted to send a special 'thank you' to this man and the poem is the result.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Note to Carrie: I've tried (3 x's) to leave a comment on your 'christmas to your hubfriends' posting and none of the comments have shown. ?? So, I will tell you now that 1. I have read it. 2. I was touched by your story 3. You have my support in any way on this journey of writing, health and life. God Bless.
That's a beautiful heart-warming story and a wonderful poem too. When a stranger gives unexpectedly like that, it gives us a great feeling and also reminds us that there is still kindness and humanity in this sometimes dark 'dog eat dog world'.
Another great hub Denise - You're doing well - Keep it up!
God bless.
Almost made me cry, with great joy and a happy surprise. Great hub my friend, so inspirational and something like that happened to me today. Rate up, fantastic hub...love & peace darski
Hello Rich and Darski-so glad you enjoyed. I was truely blessed that day. Rich, that was part of the beauty-to really 'get' what happened in this dog-eat-dog society. Apathy is so common that when the connection is made it is as if a light turned on illuminating the world a bit more. And, perhaps that is what happened.
Thanks for the support and encouragement.
Thank You for sharing this!
It is often the small things in everyday life that add up to the grand picture of life. That is why an explorere of great adventures and utter kindness and goodness are more likely to find this in the every day small things rather than on the darkside of the moon.;-)
What you did, to smooth its comming to you, was to open up an oppurtunity, open up You!
Bless You!
Hello Alberich-you are absolutely right. We all have the opportunity to connect with each other every moment of our lives. And, we attract those things in our lives that are reflections of parts of our selves. It is so important to stay open and experience ourselves in the present. Thank you for your comments. Nice to meet you.
Lovely poem, Denise! I am thinking maybe it was meant to be that you experienced frustration on that day, as much beauty (kindness and gratitude) came out of that incident with the globe.
Hello, Marie-yes, your words ring truth in my ears. It was an opportunity to practice 'patience' among other things. Thank you for your comments. Happy New Year to you. :)
...anyone who can write something as beautiful as this must be an angel - and you are my poetic angel!!!!
This is so heart warming Denise, I believe in miracles.. I have always believed in the goodness of people and your story only makes my belief stronger.
I love the way you decided to celebrate man's goodness. when I look around I see that there are more complainers in the world than people who are grateful and would love to tell the world about the small acts of kindness, I love ya Denise just for this same quality!! ((((hugs))))
Having followed and left comments the first time you told us about the "Snow Glob"...I wasn't surprised that he mailed it back to you...showing all of us that there are still good people in this world...This is going to be a good year! LOL to you and your family.
I found myself thinking, "Yeah, but will she get it back?" I've become way too cynical, especially since I've experienced more random acts of kindness and have been more inspired to practice them as of late. I swear people were friendlier this Christmas and holiday season than they were last year. Here's to a whole new year of spreading the love!
This is a heartwarming example that people are good. I love the poem too. Thanks for sharing this story and spreading hope in mankind.
Namaste.
Awesome, Denise.
A very nice poem! ^_^ it made the skin around my eyes turned into pinkish red...
Dear Colin-you, sir, are a sweetheart and flatterer. I thank you for the compliment.
Dear Sofs, thanks for the great hugs. I understand what you mean...it seems many people blame and complain. Perhaps out of habit, or maybe they find it easier than finding the good in the situation...or other people. It is a choice, though, as you mention. Thanks for your compliment. Hugs back.
B-I'm so glad you read the 'sequel'. Yes, a very good year. Thank you. Happy New Year to you and yours.
SEO-Cheers to you and the great New Year-yes, let's celebrate the love. :)
Deborah-I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.
Mr. Smith and Extinct Soul-thank you for reading. I'm glad you enjoyed.
What a truly wonderful story. It just goes to show that there are some genuine loving people around. What a wonderful experience you had. If we all reacted in the same way the world would be a much better place wouldn't it.Great poem and of course I shall press all your tabs.
Denise, I think this is a beautiful story and I like your poem. Sometimes the spontaneous actions we take are the most special moments we live.
Thank you acaetnna-I appreciate your 'vote'.
Pam-It was a memorable moment to be sure. I appreciate your feedback. (#7 of my 30 in 30)
Absolutely beautiful! Also I am a poet and I so appreciate your writing and ability to express yourself so well. God bless you!
Hello ladyt-so nice to meet a kindred spirit. Thank you for reading the hub and commenting. I just read your profile page and it appears we have more than poetry in common. I'm from Michigan-lived there for 40+ yrs before travelling around. All my immediate family is still there. I also have a child, my nephew, who has disabilities that mirror the ones of your child. I'm looking forward to reading your work.
Haha, that's heartwarming to read. I'm very forgetful, so if strangers (at least the ones i meet!) weren't so kind, i'd probably have lost like half my belongings. Haha :)
Your expression in this hub is very understandable, i can relate completely!
Looking forward to reading more :)
Hello gachapoz-nice to meet you. Thank you for your comments. LOL that's funny!
I'll be sure to check out your work. Cute avatar.
Good poetry...
Thank you sensuOs. I just finished posting another poetry page. Nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
If there's ever a contest on the best way to make a new friend, you will most certainly be the winner! :)
Dear R- LOL that is a lovely comment. What a nice contest that would be, wouldn't it. Thanks for reading and commenting. :)
You are truly a master raconteur. Unexpected kindness and gratitude are two ideals we should all strive to have. You have hit the nail right on the head again, young lady!!!
You flatter me, Sir RichERich, but I humbly thank you. Thanks for visiting the hub, and for the 'rest of the story' follow the link to the my hub: Travel Woes in December.
...well it's always a good thing to take the time and 'revisit' the classics and this is one of my favorites by you - we all need kindness from a stranger from time to time and in turn to give our kindness to other people - simple a lovely write by you and such an awesome unselfish sentiment too! I wrote one about 3 months ago now so you will have to look for it in the back catalogue but it covers much the same ground as your wonderful poem and this 'story' actually happpened to me in real life - it's called COMING IN FROM THE COLD or PLEASE COME IN FROM THE COLD ....lol lol - so many titles I've written - lol lol
What a lovely gesture. And a happy ending too. I wonder if you mailed this poem to the kind stranger? this is so beautifully captured. I too am an eternal optimist and believe in 'pay it forward'.
We don’t connect, by words or touch;
We avoid a lingering gaze.
It is a sad thought... yet here we are at hub pages connecting by words! There is hope for us all.
Colin-you are so kind, really, to return to this hub and leave yet another comment. I too, forget my titles unless I write it down or check it before I leave a comment for someone, LOL so, don't give it another thought. I will be honored to read that hub-thanks for sharing the info with me here.
Docmo-how wonderful to see you again. Thanks for visiting this hub. Yes, I most certainly did send him a copy. It was my official 'thank you' to him. I'm actually sharing my thank you to him here on hubpages, LOL.
And, yes, it is amazing to me how many wonderful people I have met, like yourself, throughout the world, on hubpages. I'm so happy that I joined last May...it has really been quite awesome and humbling to be part of this supportive community.
I like this hub. I've been looking thru your 30 hubs in 30 days hubs and you've inspired me. I'm seriously thinking about beginning the challenge soon. Thanks! Keep up the great work.
Oh, Denise, this is such a beautiful poem and story. And I love happy endings! Thank you for being so talented and sharing your gift with me and so many others. Rated up and beautiful!
Emily-we are beginning another hubchallenge April 1st. Prepare yourself, LOL and join our group at that time to help support each other.
Audrey, thank you so much for your sweet comment. I appreciate reading that. I do hope, as I write, that my work touches someones life. Thank you, my friend.
A beautiful story and poem together. It warms the heart. And you, my dear, you put yourself out there, and here, trusting in doing the right thing and reaping the rewards a thousand times over...
It's time to see that spill into the world for all to practice and believe in - what a wonderful future that would be..
Yes, bb-that would make the world a peaceful planet wouldn't it? Thanks for reading. I was quite blessed in that airport incident. :)
All I can say is Wow!....:-}
:) and all I can humbly say is, "Thanks"
I was thinking about this the other day with the lack of snow that we've had this year and had to reread it. It still warms my heart to know that there are kind people in the world still.
Such a heart-warming holiday story, Denise. It's a miracle that all ended so well. Good poetry, too. Thanks for sharing, cardelean.
Hi Cara, so glad that you reminded me of this poem and event. I'll be resharing it for its timely message. Thanks for passing it on! :)
Hello, MsDora-thank you for following Cara's prompting and reading the poem. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
Lovely poem. Heart warming.
Thank you Vellur. I appreciate your reading and commenting on this poem. :) Nice to meet you. How did you discover Hubpages? (my curiousity)
This is stunningly beautiful and I so loved reading it.
Hi acaetnna-thank you for reading. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Oh, Denise... what a beautiful gesture. And your poem is so delicate and heartfelt! I'm glad I got to read it. Beautiful story.
Good morning, Klara. What a delightful surprise to see this comment this early morning. Thank you for your feedback...I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I was surfing the net and just happened to see this and I looked it up, liked it. I read all instructions provided for newcomers by Cagsil and so here I am intereacting with all you wonderful hubbers and enjoying reading all your works.
Nithya-how are you? I hope all of your time here on HP has been a wonderful experience. I was very intrigued by your statement. Do you mean that you were surfing the Hubpages and came across my poem?
Or, do you mean that you were surfing google and came across this one? I'm just curious.
I hope you enjoyed the poem. Take care, my friend.
annmackiemiller Level 2 Commenter 16 months ago
lovely Denise - makes your heart glad doesn' it?