Things have been quite stressful and busy lately, and I tend to NOT blog when that happens. I am sorry for my absence.

This week, I had to be both Program Manager and Instructor at my work. Actually, I will continue to play both roles until I can hire a new teacher. But this week I did a pretty good balancing act and also got to work a lot earlier than I normally do because of it.

Every morning, as I crossed from where I park my van to our building, I would see a group of kids waiting for the bus. Most mornings, it was a couple small children, a woman who I can only guess was grandma, and a few families who waited in their cars for the bus to arrive.

As I passed the group, I made a point of smiling at any of the kids who might look at me. It was interesting to me that I got no reaction, not even a smile back from any of them, until yesterday (Friday).

As I approached, the littlest of the group, started waving at me eagerly as soon as she saw me. I smiled and waved back. When I got a bit closer, I said, “Good morning!”

She beamed!

The grandma-lady turned to me and gave me the kind of look you give to someone you despise. I was not sure how to react, but I was still smiling from the cheerful greeting so I just smiled and kept walking.

Once I had passed, I heard the woman say to the little girl, “What have I told you about talking to strangers!?!? Don’t you ever do that again!”

Wow. I mean, really. Wow.

This has been bouncing around in my head since it happened.

Granted, I did not know any of them. But I had now seen them at least 4 days in a row. The woman had seen me go into the same building (across the street from where they were standing) every day. I was never rude or aggressive.

Then I remember when one of the youth in our program noticed the sign on my door about kindness.

I have just been reminded how kindness is a foreign, and likely scary, thing in that part of town. I imagine the grandma had not met someone with no ulterior motives.  I can only guess the kind of pain and heartache that she has experienced in her lifetime that made her so quick to remind that little girl of the dangers of strangers.

Please pray that kindness not be such an oddity in ‘rough neighborhoods.’ Maybe if we could show more kindness to those who don’t know it, they would be able to respond with acceptance or maybe even kindness in return.

Because until they actually feel it, and are able to trust it, kindness will still be foreign.