Kindness in a drive-thru

Today, I found kindness in a drive-thru, at our local Hardee’s in Emporia, Kansas.

Today, after being off work and grad school for a week, I found myself stressed out as I was trying to wrap up a couple of projects that are due right after returning to work and class this week.

As I pulled up to the drive-thru I was distracted, cranky and feeling stressed, my to-do list running rampant and un-checked in my mind. I ordered my Diet Dr. Pepper and was greeted by a kind, upbeat voice. She thanked me and I pulled around to the window, where I was again greeted by the kind crew member, who again thanked me and told me to have a nice day.

Her positive, upbeat attitude made a huge difference in mine and it really stuck with me all the way to my office, where I caught up on my homework for this week. It’s funny how that simple act of kindness helped me re-focus.

I just finished writing a thank-you note to the restaurant and included my original receipt — just hoping she gets the recognition at work that she deserves. Kindness is especially rare these days, and when you find it, it is certainly worth recognizing.

My closing thought: don’t underestimate kindness. Don’t underestimate the impact you’ll have on someone just by being that kind person. It doesn’t take much and can be as simple as a thank-you and a smile.