Kindness of Strangers

With our prior deployments getting care packages together and mailed off was such a breeze. The task has become much more involved now that Baby Battle Rattle is a toddler. This morning we ate breakfast, got dressed and made it out the door with our box for Daddy. With my pregnancy brain set in I didn't even realize that the box I used was not a flat rate box, so when the Postal worker told me my total was going to be $46.72 my jaw dropped and I looked at her like she was crazy. Being quite a regular at the post office nowadays she smiled and said "it's not a flat rate box, hun". I looked at it and said, "Oh my gosh, sorry! Let me swap it quick." 

Toddler in arm I took the box to the packaging counter behind me, taped up a new box and started to repackage the care package all while trying to keep a hand on my curious toddler. A woman had walked into the Post Office while I was finishing taping the new box and filling out a new address label. She was filling out a customs form herself and asked me how I had filled out my customs form. She herself was sending a package to an APO. I showed her my form and how I fill in the APO/FPO since there isn't a box for those. I went and placed my package on the counter and answered the usual "is this hazardous, fragile, blah blah blah" when the women behind me asked if my husband was deploying. I told her that yes, he had already left. She then came up to the counter and placed her package on top of mine and said, "This one's on me, you girls have a great day!" I stood there surprised for a moment and told her, "No, you don't have to but thank you!" She insisted and said that her husband just retired after 26yrs just a few months ago.

I left the Post Office thinking about how I could pay it forward to another. I decided that I would donate what I would have spent on that package to OperationShower.org. They are a wonderful organization that throws baby showers for military wives who are currently going through a deployment or have just finished one. So I leave you with one small question, How will you make someones day today? What small gesture can you do for a stranger that will make their day wonderful?