Amid seemingly endless days of news items about worldwide dysfunction and vitriolic outbursts, we were delighted to be the recipients of a random act of kindness.
I was having lunch with a friend at a popular Parksville restaurant.
My friend is sight-impaired and also suffers from Celiac disease, so she needs to ask a few questions before ordering her meal. Our server was patient and helpful and we made our orders, including a glass of wine for my friend, who lives in a local care facility and does not often get to enjoy a glass of wine with meals.
We had a pleasant and unhurried lunch, a lovely visit, and then we prepared to leave.
Our server returned to the table without a bill. She told us that our lunch had been paid for as a random act of kindness!
Naturally I looked around the room and didn’t see anyone we knew. We questioned the server, but she remained loyal to the donor. Of course, we asked her to pass on our thanks to whomever had instigated this wonderful gesture.
This is our piece of good news, and we all know that good news is not always reported. I will be looking for an opportunity to pay this forward in some way. A random act of kindness could be a daily practice for many of us – it doesn’t have to involve anything except… kindness.
Liz Pendleton
Qualicum Beach