Kia ora koutou, its such a small word, only eight letters, its got that nice firm sounding K as its starting letter, the d in the middle and the softer second syllable ending in the even softer ss sound.
I have experieced a lot of kindness in my life and again today. I put a post in Sunny Otaki asking if anyone had an office chair and a computer desk for sale, reasonale price. And almost immediately a friend replied saying she had one and could pick me up to go and see it.
So this morning she did and I’m now sitting on the chair. We did a green dollar exchange. I got the chair, she got a book. We’re both happy. But wait – there’s more.
She came in and measured the table/space I use as my writing room, then took off with my measuring tape back to her office to measure the computer table she has. We want to make sure it will come in easily through the doorway.
Now this is a busy woman, not in the best of health, loads of other things to do but she made time to do this. Why? Kindness.
After she’d gone I fiddled around and got papers etc sorted and placed, helped in this by another friend who happened to be here.
At the weekend two people drove me into Wellington to Meow to take part in three Verb Wellington events. One on Saturday, one on Sunday. The weather was not good, I could even say appalling on the Sunday, but no complaints, not even a moan about finding a park.
When I got to Meow someone was there to find me a chair, hold the yellow an black stick, ‘no problem Renée.’
Of course I enjoyed the panels. I was with my own people – writers and the audiences were my own people – readers. Great to catch up with some I hadn’t seen for ages and others I met on the day.
The handshakes, the smiles, the enquiries about my eyesight, the hugs, the laughs.
And it was this week that a friend turned up with a T-shirt which says ‘Assuming I’m just an old Lady was your fdirst mistake..’
As I sit at my new desk and reflect on these happenings, I think well Renée, sometimes you moan and sometimes you’re downright bad tempered but at least you have the sense to recognise and applaud kindness when you meet it.
So here’s to kindness…random or otherwise. Long may it warm my days and my heart.
Renée
