A Little Joy in June?

So, I was driving from my regular eye check up with dilated eyes and sunglasses, of course, and listening to the radio.  My plan was to return home directly in order to prepare for and get to work.  Like I said, the radio was on, NPR, to be precise.  The local news stated that the fire stations of Massachusetts were collecting donations for the people of the Springfield area who were so badly effected by the unusual and damaging F3 tornado.  They especially needed tarps, bungee cords and bottled water.  Immediately I thought of Betsy's many Kindness of Strangers posts in which she spoke about the importance of acting promptly, without procrastination, when a thought of kindness occurs.  I knew who sells water, tarps and bungee cords.  And, in fact, it's a store whose name has a J right in it - our local Job Lot.  So, I made my purchases (with sunglasses on inside the store).  In addition to the above mentioned items I also chose to purchase a gift card.  The woman who was checking out was about to bag the card.  I asked, kindly, I trust, if she could leave it out.  We bagged up the rest of the items.  I paid and then pushed the card back towards her on the counter, leaned forward and said, "Can you please take this and give it to a person you feel may need it?"  She looked at me as though I had several heads.  Well, I was wearing sunglasses inside, and then she smiled quizzically.  I pushed it a little closer to where her hands were and added -  that it is a bit random but "I'm hoping it will be a bit of kindness for someone."  She smiled again, this time less quizzically and tucked it next to her register.

The tarps, water and bungee cords were dropped off at a Massachusetts fire station not too far from where I was.  The reception man behind the "Communications" window at the safety complex said, "I'll get you a firefighter," when I explained I had a small donation to make and was it true they were collecting for Springfield.  I laughed at that phrasing, and then thanked the young man who helped me transfer the goods from my car to the station.  He explained that two firefighters from that station had gone to Springfield that morning for work detail.

While I don't consider tarps, bungee cords and bottled water to imply joy, nor is the reason for the donation related to anything but recovering from great difficulties.  I do imagine that feeling recovered will lead to joy.  It's going to be a long road for some that will require tools to get them there.  Tarps, bungee cords and the like.  It is the juxtaposition of the green and blue coverings with white, blue and yellow cords with what they will lead to -- a full recovery, I hope, that lead me to yesterday's deeds.  And I did experience joy in my exchanges with the woman at Job Lot, and with those at the Safety complex.  My good fortune among many, in June.

Wishing all you readers bits of Joy in June!