Random acts of kindness

My brother stepped in last week and fixed our old Subaru wagon. The radiator went, along with numerous hoses. My brother could fix it, so he did. He drove it for a few days and then found some more leaky hoses and he fixed those.

Could we have paid to get it fixed at a garage? Yes.

Should we have fixed it at all? Probably not.

But we're not ready to say goodbye. Forget the memories. My husband needs a car that he can get dirty. He sure does his best, or worst, with this one.

My brother helps me because, well, he's my brother.

It's not like I do a lot in return, but maybe he thinks he owes me for aggravating me when I had to baby-sit him as a child.

Our friends from church help us, too. Knowing my husband has MS and is disabled, there is a fabulous guy from church who always seems to know when something has to go up in the attic. I can go up there, but I try not to. There are giant mice up there with big teeth.

The deeds that touch all of us the most are the random acts of kindness. My husband has a scooter that he uses when we're sightseeing. Occasionally it tips and he'll land in a flower bed.

People rush out of nowhere to upright the scooter and to help him up. They don't know us and will never see us again. They could just walk away but they don't. They choose to help.

My husband walks with two canes, which makes it difficult for him to carry things and to handle heavy doors. Though he tries everything on his own, people are always courteous and help.

Last year we were eating in a fast-food restaurant in Lehighton on the coldest night of the year.

A man who was dining with his little girl interrupted his meal to jump out of his seat to hold the door for us. It was so cold, but he waited patiently for us to go out.

The list of good deeds is long.

Sure, you say, people will help someone who is disabled.

It's not necessary but kind of expected.

But I never expected to be the one who was the recipient of an act of love last week.

I was going into a local grocery store where you have to put a quarter in a slot for the cart. I had a specific list and no plans to deviate from that list, so I grabbed a box from my car instead of a cart.

A woman saw me approaching with my little box and offered me a quarter.

She must have thought I didn't have change for the cart or maybe I just looked tired at the end of the day.

Whatever her thoughts, she reached out in a random act of kindness and touched me in a place that people don't often reach.

Yes, it was just a quarter. It's not like she offered to pay my bill.

But that simple gesture of a quarter was worth millions because someone who didn't know me offered to help me.

Would I have done that? I wouldn't have even thought about it, I'm embarrassed to say.

Next time I will go to the grocery store with two quarters - one to use and one to give.

When is the last time you helped someone?

Here are some doable ideas from Thinkstock.com

• While you're out, compliment a parent on how well-behaved their child is.

• If you walk by a car with an expired parking meter, put a quarter in it. There's that quarter again.

• Offer a homeless person your leftovers bag from the restaurant. Heck, you could buy them a whole meal and sit with them. They would probably like to talk.

• Let someone into your lane. They're probably in a rush just like you.

• Let the person behind you at the supermarket checkout with one or two items go ahead of you. Now what would that hurt?

• Give someone a hug. OK, do not try this on strangers. A smile is enough. Believe me on this one.

• Play board games with senior citizens at a nursing home. Did you know 60 percent of them will never have a visitor during their stay.

• Leave some extra quarters in the laundry room. Yup, a measly 25 cents can make a difference between putting on dry pants or lugging wet ones home.

• Say thank you to a janitor.

• Send dessert to another table.

• Be kind to the customer service rep on the phone. It's not his or her fault.

• Call your mom. Call your dad. Call your grandparents. Call your friend. Even if you don't feel like it.

One day you'll wish you had.