Cat Calls Or Hot Chocolate

--by kristenh, posted Feb 14, 2012

I am a sales rep and I travel all over England to visit my customers. I will frequently arrange to meet a client first thing in the morning and I usually have several visits to complete in a day.

One cold February morning I was due to visit a store at 9am. I parked my car, bundled my scarf around me and headed up the street towards his shop front.

The small lane where his store was located was partially blocked by two large, ruddy faced workmen who were tearing up the concrete. I braced myself for the expected cat calls. I was up early, out in the cold, and probably about to be made a spectacle of by two men I didn't even know.

Then I stopped and remembered that my own father. Both he and my grandfather had spent much of their early careers working outside in similar jobs before they qualified and became engineers. I remembered how hard Dad worked, in all kinds of weathers; how he'd come home with sunburn or frostnip. I realised that if I was cold then these two guys were probably freezing, given that it looked as though they'd already been working for hours.

My customer's shop wasn't open but I was beyond being annoyed at his lateness. I went to a coffee shop around the corner, ordered myself a hot chocolate, then I ordered two more with whipped cream.

I made my way down the lane towards the workmen. One of them turned to me with a wide smile and greeted me with a joking "Oh lovey, you shouldn't have!" To his shock, I passed him the tray with the two steaming hot chocolates. I replied, "Maybe not. But it's too cold to be working outside today."

I got two looks of genuine thanks, and a timely reminder that it's as easy to be kind as it is to prejudge - but the former is so much nicer!

4558 Reads

Posted by kristenh
Feb 14, 2012
Comments (20)

Readers Comments

dreamtoberealized wrote: It is much less hard for you to be friends with people around you than make friends.

Thaata wrote: True love begets love. It is rightly pointed out that our own prejudices prevent us from initiating the process.

stevenson_koya wrote: Being a pastor of the church, i apprecaite your kind heart in helping others. Please do pray for our hill tribal groups in india(very very poor people) among whom we are ministering and trying to help them come out of their problems. No proper food,water,clothes,medcation etc. So as god leads you to help these people, please do help them. For more details, please contact me,
Rev. T . Stevenson,pastor,
Grace baptsit church,
Hill tribal ministry,
Mustakhanpet,
Machilipatnam-521001, a. P ,
India.

HappyDae wrote: Well, i am still smiling! : ) i could just picture the entire event. Such a kind and beautiful jesture. I have a feeling you were the topic of conversation around the family dinner table that evening. They will never forget your kindness and will always remember you whenever hot chocolate is served. Thanks so very much for sharing with us. Love it! Love and peace, happydae

moral12 wrote: What a lovely gesture for you to make for those gentlemen. I'm sure they were very pleased and surprised by your generous offering of hot chocolate! Kudos to you.

Leldi wrote: This gave me goosebumps and put a great smile on my face. :)

Joy wrote: What a sweet story. Many blessings to you. Thanks for sharing. Keep spreading kindness

baabra1950 wrote: Kindness! A wonderful story! I adore people like this! Thoughtful, loving spirits! Please be kind to yourself always! Love and warm huge hugs< barbie xxoo

Thelwell1 wrote: Thanks for your heart warming story. I'm sure it will live on in the lives of those two workmen for a long time to come. Keep spreading the love (and the hot chocolate! )

KathyI wrote: You melted my heart! What a great way to respond and change people's lives. I love it.

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