Every morning I open my beautiful little shop,
and enjoy my life's dream brought to life.
I rearrange, dust a little, fluff,
prepare for my day, and then
I look outside my door and grump!
Because every night, after dark,
the gentlemen who walk back and
forth from the Mission
fill the urn outside my door with
cigarette butts and trash!
Now I tell myself that I should be grateful
that at least it's in a container and I
don't have to chase garbage around the sidewalk,
but I grumble!
Wouldn't you think with all the garbage cans downtown,
just a few feet away,
that they could be respectful of other peoples property?
So when I looked up from the cash register
late Tuesday night and saw an elderly gentleman
bending over the urn,
it was all I could do not to stomp out the front door
and tell him to knock it off!
I started around the counter and hesitated,
really what good would it do?
He would just be back tomorrow!
So I finished up my work and headed for the urn
to clean it out before I left.
It was empty.
My elderly gentleman, paused at my front door,
saw the garbage in my beautiful urn
and cleaned it out for me.
The tears just started to fall as I realized
I had not done one unselfish act that day!
Not one thing.
I, who have more blessings than I can count
could not remember the last time I had done
something truly kind for a stranger.
And this gentleman, whom I imagine has known more hardship
that I will ever face, reached out in kindness to me
without any thought of getting anything in return.
Whose day do you think had more value?
My little urn has been clean every morning.
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