One Chance

Naturally, I have a chocolate color hair.

I remember, when I was in first grade, one day my mom was braiding my hair in two braids. It was being stubborn. While fighting it and tugging it and pulling it, she said “A persons hair is like the person”. I still remember that. I think it kind of hurt my feelings that time.

Yesterday I was waiting in a line to pay for something and two girls, who looked about 12 - half children, half teenagers, half adults – ran up to their her mom, who was near me, and gave her a long red beautiful rose that they had bought on sale for .50 cents outside.

At first there was a shadow of surprise in the mom’s face. Then there was a hint of satisfaction. And then she said “Well guys, why are you buttering up this time? What do you want?” The girls made a joke, giggled and ran away.

I thought - woman, you ruined the moment. She missed her chance to be kind. And this chance will never come again.

I wonder how many chances for kindness I have missed in my lifetime. I wonder how many times I have said things and haven’t realized the effect they will leave on someone. I wonder how many times I have said little things that someone remembers 20 years down the road, not because they were kind but because they hurt.