Editor,
Thursday at our farmers’ market I tried to give a jar of fresh peach preserves we had made to our Filipina friend who is so generous to the Flint St. Food Bank. She tried to give me a bag of tomatoes in exchange. I said no, the preserves were a gift. We went back and forth. I gave her a ten for the tomatoes and she gave me back two fives. You’ve got to watch her. I said no, no, no, the preserves are a gift. She finally relented.
On my way home, I stopped at our local health food store, and upon checking out with tortillas and hot sauce, I found I had only $5 and the bill was $8. The woman in front of me with whom I had discussed how sweet the checkout man was at the counter, told him, “I’ll pay for that.” I tried to give her my $5. No way. She said her horoscope said she would do something nice for a stranger today. We hugged and I surely felt blessed.
Is it that we eat clean, organic food that makes us generous? Anyway, I am grateful for generosity and compassion. As Hillary says, we need love and kindness. I am learning how to be thankful for all the good things I have and to fight the depression that comes from seeing all the cruelty, woman hatred, racism and class oppression in our country.
Blessings on the kind people.
T.A. Laughlin