[checked]

My doorbell rang a few nights ago.

It was about 6pm and my home was deep in the middle of before.bed.chaos: discarded muddy clothes, a little person dripping wet from her bath, tired grumbles, books and toys everywhere, me wearing some weird leggings pulled from my bottom draw and my hair a crazy top.knot.mess. It was the epitome of all the stuff I love about family life (and of all the stuff that simultaneously drives me bonkers). It was super glamorous, naturally.

So anyway, the doorbell rang. Just as I was lifting my little bundle of just.washed.crankiness onto her change table. For a split second I considered ignoring it but then figured that her wailing and my shhhhhusshing might give the no-one.home game away. So we lunged at the door and yanked it open. A super polite man was standing there, smiling. He took one look at me (um, is that a bird in her hair??) and apologised for interrupting.

After one quick glance, I automatically assumed that he was gong to launch into selling me something or trying to sign me up for a deal or a donation so I hurrrumphed and turned on my harried.so.please.make.this.quick face.

But then he very gently explained: I just saw that you had left your car lights on in the driveway and I worried that your battery would go flat. I thought I would quickly drop by to let you know.

oh! I thanked him and told him that I appreciated his kindness. And then I closed the door, my brain burning with shame. Devastated that I had made a negative assumption when he was going out of his way to just be kind.

Such a reminder: to check my assumptions, constantly.

Tags: community, kindness, self, values