“Be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise.”
This quote entered my head this morning, after a stranger drove by and gave me friendly Sunday morning smile. Initially I was unclear where I had heard it, or why it was arising right now. But it began to make sense.
It is strangers that comfort me in some of the most difficult times. The other day my car completely broke down at work, it would not shift to reverse and the electrics on the dashboard went blank. Someone assisted me for two hours, ensuring I got the support required , transported me with where I needed to go, or reminded me who I may need to call. He wasn’t 100% stranger, I had seen him before. But he was a stranger to me. The process of getting a car fixed, towed, and an appointment at an auto shop took at minimum four hours of phone calls and days to complete. It was insanely stressful, but so beautiful how this stranger and then later other colleagues assisted or showed how they cared.
I am always surprised who assists in times of need. And aren’t we all called upon that from time to time to be there for other humans?
We don’t always recognize the magnitude the smallest gesture we make to anther can do. A smile can go a long way, as does holding the door, or being present when having a brief conversation.
Throughout the day it is easy to get caught up in thinking only of ourselves…our issues, plans, lists, worries. We are so preoccupied with our own internal worlds that we forget we have the potential to be there for another. Taking the time to be there for another is a valuable skill we all are capable of.
How can you express this to another today?
Ps the quote was taken from the upstairs walkway at the Shakespeare & Company bookstore in Paris.
It Only Takes A Smile 