I'm profoundly grateful to the people who have been kind to me in my life. Sometimes even the smallest kindness made a huge difference. Truly, no act of kindness is too small.

My first job, out of high school, was as a dishwasher in a fast food/truck stop that was planted on the side of a freeway. It was exhausting, hot, greasy work. I eventually worked my way up and became a waitress.

I needed that job because I desperately wanted funds to go to college. All my friends had gone, but I couldn't afford to go. (I even ate cat food to try to save money ... it was not a good idea. The ingredients looked good on the label, but honestly they tasted terrible.)

One day a downtrodden, young woman came into the restaurant. She sat at the counter and ordered a cup of soup and a glass of water. She looked like she could barely afford that. My heart went out to her, but we were busy so I didn't have time to talk. However, when I was cleaning the counter, I saw that she had left me a 50 cents tip. Tears welled in my eyes. This woman whom, on the surface, seemed to have nothing . . . had left me a huge tip. (The usual tip was 25 cents, and most often people left nothing.)

I went into the broom closet and sobbed because I was so touched by her gift. Her small kindness meant so much to me at that time in my life and 45 years later I have never forgotten it.

~ Denise Linn

P.S: Kindness like everything else is a choice.What would the world be like, if everyone chose to be kind to themselves and each other ?

Thank you for visiting the TREASURE TROVE today.

Namaste,

Bhagyalakshmi