A few days ago I was walking up the sidewalk outside my mother-in-law’s retirement home facility. A well dressed young lady exiting the building stooped down, carefully picked something up from the pavement, went back to into the building, put the object on a small table and then continued on her way. As she passed me I spoke to her and said that what she did showed a “proprietary interest”.
She stopped and asked me what that meant.
I told her that it meant that her world, our world, was a better place for her having been here that day. She thanked me and went on her way.
I’ve looked at this small event and wondered, “Is there a health benefit from such a small act?”
As she walked out of the building she saw on the ground a small plastic wrap with three medication pills inside. Obviously someone had accidentally dropped them and might come back later. If the medicines were obviously visible, the owner might retrieve them and possibly sustain some health or economic benefit. Positive benefit #1.
The young lady who noticed the pills found a place to put them where they could easily be found before being damaged or contaminated. She was acting in a benevolent way. Positive benefit #2.
I noticed her kind and caring act and told her so. She was grateful for that. It was small, but positive none-the-less, and she thanked me for the comment. Positive benefit #3.
Does any of this have health benefits?
“A merry [rejoicing] heart doeth good like a medicine.” Proverbs 17:22.
Gratitude, rejoicing, benevolence, trust in God’s love and care–these are health’s greatest safeguard. To the Israelites they were to be the very keynote of life. MH 281
The person who lost the pills would certainly have joy if they were found. The young lady who picked them up and put them out of harm’s way, gave their health a known safeguard boost by her benevolence. I noticed and commented to her about my obervation. Her response indicated that even this small comment lightened her busy life. It brightened mine too. It’s hard to tell which of us benefited the most.
It is impossible to give of yourself without getting something more in return. It has never failed in my experience.
What can you do to make your world a better place for having been there today?