By Nancy Rynes, author of Awakenings from the Light
Article copyright Nancy Rynes, 2022
Here in the United States during the latter part of November, we celebrate a holiday that we call Thanksgiving. It's a day when family and friends get together and celebrate each other and give thanks for all that we have. While that's something that we probably should be doing more often than once a year, we make sure to take one Thursday out of our year and celebrate together.
This past Thanksgiving I was invited to spend the day with some friends who lived about an hour and a half south of my home. On the drive there I stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few things, including a little floral gift for the hostess. When I parked my vehicle in the store's parking lot, I did something very unusual -- I set my keys down on the console in between the driver's and passenger seat. I never do this but for some reason on that day I did it without even thinking.
Not consciously realizing the keys were on the console, I hopped out of my truck and stepped back to adjust my jacket. Just then a gust of wind kicked up and slammed the door closed before I could stop it. I was stuck. My keys, phone, and purse were locked in the truck! My only option was to go into the grocery store to ask for help.
At first the manager and clerks were stunned and had no idea what to do. I had to explain to them a few times what had happened before they really understood me. Once they finally understood that I needed help locating and calling a locksmith, the manager let me use her cell phone to look up website and phone numbers. Once we made contact with a locksmith, it became a waiting game. After all, this was a holiday and the technician was on another call. He wouldn't be able to make it to my location for at least another hour.
During my wait, the store clerks were very kind and went out of their way to make sure I was OK. One of them brought me a bottle of water, another lent me her phone again so I could try to contact my friends who were waiting for me. It ended up being an hour and a half before the locksmith arrived and opened the truck, and during this time the staff were nothing but kind and gracious.
What this experience did for me, besides making me realize that I needed to keep closer track of my keys, was to help me see once again that we all have opportunities to give and receive little moments of kindness throughout the day.
In my case, locking my keys and phone in the truck was a moment where the store clerks could show their kindness to me, and I could gracefully (and gratefully) receive it. Being kind didn't take any huge effort on their part. It didn't cost them any money. They just had to go into their heart and help out someone who needed it. And I needed to stay open to receiving their kindness and staying in gratitude.
We are all given these opportunities to be kind to other people, or even receive kindness. It can be something as simple as helping out a stranger who just locked her keys and cell phone in her vehicle, or allowing someone to open a door for you even if you are perfectly capable of opening it for yourself.
I'd love for you to think about ways that people have been kind to you recently, and spend some time in gratitude for those moments. Then I want you to be truly open to helping other people. Again, that doesn't mean that you have to spend money. Just be open to those opportunities to give another a simple act of kindness.
Living here on this planet in this time in our cultural development is not the easiest thing in the world for every person, every day. Some people can use all the kindness and compassion that we can spare. Additionally, our lives here are so short that I don't know why we spend as much time as we do in conflict and strife. I cannot comprehend why we waste our precious moments on divisiveness and even hate. We are all here on this small planet together, and our lives as the people we are now are short and precious. To me, there isn't time for anything but kindness and compassion.
As we go forward through the holiday season and into the new year, I would love for you to be the recipient of a beautiful gift of kindness. And if you have the opportunity, give someone else a gift of kindness as well. I know that person is going to really appreciate it.
Have a wonderful holiday season however you celebrate it, and a beautiful start to 2023. I'll be in touch with you shortly after the new year.
Thank you so much and blessings to all of you,
Nancy
Archive: Past Newsletter Issues
TODAY Show: Nancy's Interview on NBC TV's TODAY
Anthony Chene Documentary: Nancy's Interview
Messages of Hope with Suzanne Giesemann: Exploring NDEs with Nancy Rynes
Article: Seven Lessons That Dying Taught Me About Truly Living (Aspire Magazine)
Article: Lives Changed by NDEs (Boulder Daily Camera)
Article: Awakening to Life(Pages 6-10, Journal of Exceptional Experiences and Psychology, Summer 2016)
Article: The Meaning of Life (Excellence Reporter)
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