THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

I was the recipient of a random act of kindness and generosity recently.

I was driving the route 6 out of downtown during rush hour. I was very busy and traffic was heavy. I had a fun bunch on my bus and we were all chatting as I slowly inched my way into the Uptown Station. As the bus came to a stop, I saw a pair of mitten covered hands reaching around the plastic barrier on my right side. I looked up and saw a 20-something girl handing me something. It was a candy cane and something I couldn't quite make out. She said "Merry Christmas!" Through my surprise, I managed to say "Thank you, that's so nice."

Later, I had a chance to see what the other thing was. It was a $10 gift card that was actually a funny type of wind-up flashlight. On the packaging it said "To a nice bus driver from a passenger. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!"

I am still kind of touched by this. It was a pleasant surprise and very much appreciated. The thought was really what counted. It feels good to be appreciated, and the gift also came in handy!