I have a bunch of things that are more current that I wanted to blog about, but then I was reminded of something that happened a while ago that I thought would be cool to share.
I work in a pet store. Needless to say, just about everyone has a pet. Everyone. So you tend to get a lot of … schizophrenic, bizzare, creepy, interesting people during the course of the day. One particular lady I encountered a while ago is named Eileen. She is probably mid 50′s, single (because her alcoholic, abusive husband died of cancer, which according to her he deserved), with a large family of sisters (which all abandoned her and their mother as she lay dying), and loves birds (especially cockatiels). One night she called my store and told me that one of her cockatiels was recovering from an injury and she wanted to come in and get some supplies and treats for it to help nurse it back to help. I listened sympathetically (cause that’s how I do) and told her that I’d be glad to help her when she came in. She then asked, “Have I ever given you any jewelry before?” … “Uh, no” I replied, a little confused. ”Ok, she said, I’m going to bring in something for you.” I just said ok, thinking she was a little crazy and that would be that.
About an hour later I see a woman walk into the store and seek me out saying “Are you Cyndi? This is for you.” And she holds out her hand to show me an enormous triangular clear stone set in a gold ring. Flummoxed, I just stared at her for a second. ”It took me a little longer to get here because I wanted to pick out something nice for you”, she said. I assured her that it was lovely but really, unnecessary. Then she practically stuck it on my hand as I started helping her with things for her bird and listening to her (practically whole) life story.
When she was leaving I told her again that I felt funny taking a ring from her, and she said, “When my mother was dying no one else in my family helped out at all. So she gave me all of her jewelry. And there was so much that I told her even if I wore a different piece every day I could never wear it all, so she told me, ‘Then give it to someone who is kind to you’. So now if I meet someone who’s a little down on her luck, I give her pearl earrings. Or when someone is nice to me, a ring. And you were nice to me.”
I can tell you that I am still flummoxed by this lady. Is she totally crazy? Yes. But I consider it a good crazy. She’s nice. She’s so nice she gives complete strangers pearl earrings and rings set in 14k gold (it’s etched in the band). She’s had it rough and she appreciates a simple act of kindness like just listening. So now and then I wear this ring and everyone at work asks, “Why do you wear that thing? It’s wierd.” And I say, “I wear it because kindness matters. And this reminds me.”
