Frozen Peas (Pass it on)

Picture: Birds Eye

A lot of people have been very kind to me in the last week:  the neighbours who rescued me after my fall in the snow, tended to my bruises, sacrificed a bag of frozen peas to the cause, and lent me cling-film when I found I had run out at a crucial moment in a recipe;  the dentist's receptionist who rang me back to reassure me that she had got my voice message cancelling my appointment because I had fallen, and wanting to know if I was okay;  my brother who rang me out of the blue to see how I was; friends who didn't mind me cancelling our coffee dates because I couldn't get out; everyone who offered to pick up things I needed from the shops; and especially Pat for putting up with my utterly foul temper tantrums.  I feel very grateful to everyone who has helped me. Thank you.

Christmas is traditionally the season of being kind to others.  But reading this post today got me thinking.

It doesn't take much to be kind.  A smile, making a cup of tea or offering to help in a small way can really mean so much to someone. Even just being polite, even if  perhaps your own heart is breaking or you are ready to snap someone else's neck with rage.  My nieces, who both currently work in retail, often tell me of customers who rage at them for no apparent reason, taking their own problems out on anyone who comes across their path.  While there is no excuse for such behaviour, there is often a reason for it.

It is especially hard at the moment, with all the snow and the rush for Christmas shopping.  We all lose our tempers and have our frustrations.  I am trying to remember at all times that behind every face or voice there is a story, a person who might be suffering their own trials and miseries.  And even if they are being foul to me, perhaps there is a reason, so  I will strive to be kind to them, just as those around me have been lately.

This December, be kind.  (Pass it on.)