A Random Act of Kindness

Please allow me to brag a bit about my wonderful 22-year-old daughter.

I am extremely proud of my daughter. Despite the fact that she is strapped for money -- she is still developing her clientele as a newly minted hair stylist -- she recently paid for some dog food and a soft drink for a man who appeared to be homeless. 

Here's what happened. She was on her way home from work and stopped to return a DVD to the RedBox machine at a Family Dollar store. The man and his dog were in line ahead of her. When the man realized he did not have enough money to pay for his purchases, he left the store without the dog food and drink. My daughter ran after him. He went back into the store with her, and she paid for his purchases. He gave her a hug. 

The total purchase was only a few dollars, but for a struggling hair stylist it meant giving up her tip for the day. And this is not the only time she has shown compassion to someone who is down and out. She once saw a homeless man standing on a street corner asking for money. She drove out of her way, bought the man a sandwich and returned to the corner to give it to him. In response, he tossed the sandwich away. What a thoughtless gesture from someone supposedly in need! Maybe he wanted money to buy cigarettes, booze or drugs.

But that hurtful action hasn't deterred her from other acts of kindness. And what makes her kindness more remarkable is her background. She had a terrible childhood, filled with deprivation, abuse and rejection by her birth parents in Russia. She lived with a variety of family members, eventually ending up in an orphanage. But despite everything she had been through, she looked out for the younger kids in her orphanage, and she has always loved animals. 

Children with her background and early childhood trauma often lack compassion for others. They frequently abuse animals. So where did she learn to be so compassionate? Certainly she didn't learn this from her birth parents. For whatever reason, she has retained her innate kind spirit and selflessness despite her traumatic early childhood. She loves animals, especially dogs and cats. I like to think I had something to do with this, but her good heart has always been a part of her. I just set a positive example for her.

So to say that I am proud of her doesn't begin to explain how I feel. Her kindness and generous heart are just two of the things I love about this young lady. I hope she is richly rewarded for her kindness and that she continues to be a positive influence in this world where too often we hear only about young people committing crimes.

Well done, Дочeньka! May Karma reward you for your good deeds, and may you never lose your compassion for the less fortunate among us.