Kindness Blooms at the Airport

--by Namaste, posted Jul 3, 2012

Last weekend at the airport, I had some extra time before going through security to catch my flight. While wondering what to do, I decided it was the perfect time and place to look for an anonymous act of kindness to do!

One of the magazine stands outside security had flowers for sale. I told the clerk that I'd like to buy flowers for someone else, and she could decide who to give them to. She looked a little confused, so I suggested perhaps she could give them to someone who looked like they could use some cheering up, and then hand them the smile card with the flowers.

At first, the clerk responded, That's weird." (Or maybe, "That's crazy," I can't remember which.) But then, I explained a little more about smile cards and the concept of doing something kind for a complete stranger, and she brightened up.

"I'll never know how it turns out," I said, "but you will have the opportunity to make someone's day." At that point, she started to seem genuinely excited about it.

She went to take the flowers out of the water they were sitting in, and I explained, "It's fine to leave them in there until the person you want to have them comes."

At that point, I think she was somewhere between flabbergasted and delighted, as it was clear this was not a request she had ever gotten from a customer before :).

I paid for the flowers (with cash, to ensure anonymity), said goodbye, and headed for the security line.

I'll never know how it turned out, but I was on "Cloud 9" for the rest of the morning. :)

[Also, as a sidenote: If any of you have suggestions on how to explain smile cards to people who are not familiar with them, I would love to hear them. I feel I could have done a better job of explaining how the smile card works. I think, ultimately, whatever we say will work, if we are connected with our heart when we say it, but having some ideas in mind beforehand would be great! :)]

7242 Reads

Posted by Namaste
Jul 3, 2012
Comments (17)

Readers Comments

Namaste wrote: Thanks everyone!

pengtianzhou wrote: Good very good

Miki wrote: Mrsdaniel / hi, quick question, i reeembmr you saying you would pick up, unbreakable machine doll' but it seems village idiot scans have picked it up again. So, does this mean it's dropped, or?

Azhifa wrote: Cool! That's a cvleer way of looking at it!

Jami2D wrote: I love that you are really just trying to change the world one smile:)at a time. No recognition needed for you, you just want people doing kind things even anonymously. You are teaching how to start a chain reaction of smiles just the way it should be done, expecting nothing in return. Welcome to our world to your new friend she has a good example being that your showed her the ropes! Blah-blah-blah. Sometimes i get a little/a lot to mushy but you get it. Thank you:)

Bethie wrote: Such a big smile namaste! Your cloud9 is still floating all the way here in colorado with such joy! The joy you gave the clerk and the one who received the flowers and the clerk got to enjoy giving! Wow! Goodness to the nth power! Wheeee!

MonkeyLoverR wrote: Awesome! Keep it up! :-)

ziva wrote: Beautiful!

Blessed2BKind wrote: It's so amazing when we truly want to give just to give to someone else and yet it makes our day so blessed :)

angela wrote: If someone doesn't seem to be getting it i tell them it's kind of like a game i'm playing on the internet. The web site is on the card so they can play too. Never had trouble after that, they are all in!

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