That best portion of a man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. ~ William Wordsworth

Today I was driving and was craving a milkshake, I behaved myself and didn’t give into the craving. However it brought back a great memory of a simple kindness. There was a restaurant called the Dutch Treat that we would occasionally eat at, it was the one thing that my dad and I ever did together that doesn’t have a bad memory attached to it. We would stop there while out hunting or if we working together. Often I would get a vanilla milkshake with my meal. The waitresses there were always very kind to me and they’d always overload the metal mixing cup for the milkshake. That way, after they poured the milkshake, they could leave the metal cup which meant I got a milkshake and a half. It was a small thing but it always made me really happy.

This memory got me thinking about small acts of kindness and how important they can be. When I was in junior high my family took a trip over the summer and I missed the first couple of days of school. At that time I never bought school lunch, I brought a sandwich every day and would always buy a carton of milk at lunch. So, like the year before, I dropped the dime that first day and the lady gave me my milk. This went on, as expected and as normal for at least a month. Then one day my friend offered to get my milk for me, I gave him a dime and he stood there. Milk is fifteen cents! He was correct and I went to the lunch lady and asked her about it. She had been paying the extra nickel the whole time, when I asked why she said she wasn’t sure I had the other nickel and she didn’t want me to be embarrassed. It was a small amount of money but a huge gesture on her part.

The absolute master of the small kindnesses was my granny. I’m sure that’s true for a lot of us. And I’m not just talking about when I was a little kid. My granny always sent all of her grandchildren a holiday card for every holiday. Hell, I think I even got a Arbor Day card once. She was also absolutely clairvoyant in her small gifts. When I was in grad school, they paid us pitifully, I think I got $800 a month, student loans and part-time gigs filled in the rest. However, there were times when I was flat broke while waiting for a loan disbursement or a pay check. As a retiree on a fixed income, she didn’t have a lot of money but it seemed every time I was in that situation and went to the mailbox there was a card and a ten or twenty dollar bill in the envelope with a note. Get a beer and a burger on your granny. She was amazing and I miss her every day.

The person I’m named for, my Uncle Mikey (actually my grandfather’s cousin), was the first person I remember who understood the significance of the small kindness and gift. As a small child I remember every time he came over, climbing in his lap and giving him a hug and then searching his shirt pocket, because there was always a piece of bubble gum or candy there. My paternal grandfather also had this tradition, every time he’d come off of the train from New York City, he always had a bag of M&M’s for me.

I try and keep this tradition alive, especially for my littlest nieces and nephews. Every time I visit, I always have presents, small Lego sets, sunglasses, hats, etc…always just some small present, a tiny bit of happiness. Today I was reminded of how powerful that idea is to people. My brother messaged me, my niece and nephews wanted him to send me a little gift, a video that thought I would like. It was a Norwegian dude with a big red beard, who had found a weird stick and was sending a nod out to the stick review community (yes, this is a thing on Instagram- Stick Nation with 1.6 Million followers) and then he leapt into a lake screaming about Valhalla. I was thrilled and happy to get this little gift, but I am also a little concerned about what it says about how my niece and nephews view me.

So my friends, find a way to gift a little gift, or a small kindness today. You’ll make someone else happier, but it will also help you have a happier day. ~ Rev Kane