This story starts with my desire for a long walk on a beautiful fall day in Oak Bay. I bundled up and set off with my walker. I am 93, so it will be a rather slow walk, but thatB次元官网网址檚 OK B次元官网网址� it's better to enjoy the scenery and the people at your own pace. It turned out to be most enjoyable. I met people raking leaves, walking friendly dogs, riding bicycles, and a nice old fellow in a tweed outfit with a cane who greeted me warmly.
In the distance, I could see a little store nestled among the local houses on a residential street. It had shrubbery and latticework; it was very interesting. Best of all, I could smell coffee! Yes, it was a coffee house. By this time, having walked quite far, farther than I had in a few years; I was eager to sit down and enjoy a cup. As the saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for," because as I neared the entrance, I realized that the chances of me and my walker enjoying that coffee were very slim. Right in front of the entrance were two rather imposing stone steps. Steps up or down are not the friends of a person using a walker.
You can understand my disappointment. But then, two men who looked like workers came out of the door and asked if I needed help. I nodded, and they picked up my walker and lifted it to the top of the stairs. Each then offered me an arm and helped me up the stairs. "Thank you" didnB次元官网网址檛 seem like enough.
Once inside, walker and all, I ordered a coffee and a pastry. The waitress was so friendly in a quiet way. As I looked around for a chair, I saw that there were only high stools, which were too high for me to climb onto. However, I felt so relaxed there that I pulled my walker close to one of the stools and used it as a table, sitting on my walker. To complete my comfort, the young man who served the coffee brought it over with the kindest gesture.
When I was ready to leave, I bought a slice of pizza to take home. He put it in my walker for me and asked if there was anything else he could do. I then asked him if he would take my walker down the stairs, and he gladly did and then helped me back down the stairs.
There you have it, the story of my adventure. I tell it to show how much kindness means to others, like me, and how much it meant to me that day. These days, when there seems to be so much chaos in the world, it is incredibly important to be kind and thoughtful, especially as the holiday season approaches. Those small acts I described can make a big difference in someoneB次元官网网址檚 life.
Lorraine Scaia
Oak Bay
