Kindness Account

“I just got a call from the Nelsons,” Samuel Bridgeport 3rd, the largest sponsor of the Candlewood Community Center, said to Martin Cruize, the manager. “They are furious with you and the center. What the hell did you do?”

“I told them the truth.”

“And.”

“They must activate their Kindness Account before they can get any help from this center.”

“Are you crazy?”

“I know you are busy man, but sit down,” Martin invited as they entered his office. “Let me take you somewhere you haven’t been before.”

Nodding, sitting to face Martin, he divulges, “I don’t think you can, but I’m open to the adventure.”

“I was the assistant manager of this Community Center for ten years before Joseph Hill, the former manager, retired. We rely on donations to provide services free of charge to everyone who enters. Joe used to complain about them taking and refusing to give back anything. Even their services and time. Many of the families who come in, give time and services by helping to clean up. They assist the children with homework, counseling, or anything they can give. For the fifteen years, I have been in charge, the Nelsons have never helped or donated anything towards our fundraising efforts.”

“Never?” Samuel asked, widening his eyes.

“Never,” Martin assured. “And every year they come at Thanksgiving and Christmas and receive gifts. Their children benefit from all services we provide until they go to college. In the last three of their crises, the community donated various items that we auctioned and helped them. When others face similar circumstances, they were always missing in action.”

“Ouch!” Mr. Bridgeport groaned as if he was in pain. “But that’s what we do. It doesn’t matter who they are and what they do. Kindness shouldn’t care.”

“Thanks to the chaos our world is riling in, kindness really doesn’t have a choice right now!” Martin stressed. “COVID 19 has affected our world financially, economically, psychologically, physically, and mentally. Since that Pandemic decided to visit, our donations have dropped 95%. It has overstayed its welcome, and the pain and suffering will stay with us for years. You are the only business that can still support us. All of the others had to close. If you fall, we and kindness fall with you.”

“It’s that bad?” Mr. Bridgeport asked shocked.

“You have no idea,” Mr. Cruize alerts. “Mrs. Brennan and her husband’s kindness account have accumulated interest for more than twenty years. They and many others gave time, money, and anything else the children of this community needed. She needs our help. Her accumulated interest must be available to her. Rosa Barnes, Richard Spence, George Brown, Annie Bronson are just a few whose kindness accounts have been overflowing with interest for more than twenty years. I can’t deny them their return. Life demands that they get their due.”

“So, you are saying that due to our limited resources we can only provide for the kindest hearts?”

“It’s not our choice. We don't make the rules. Life demands that we do. The Nelsons son and daughter are top players in the NBA and WNBA at their colleges. We reached out to them for our Mentorship Program for at-risk youths in our community. They said we should ask their parents. When we did, they said, “our children don’t have the time for small things.”

Samuel’s jaws dropped below his chin. “They really didn’t help?”

Martin continues the adventure, “My neighbor Mr. Bowen’s dog has a litter of six puppies. One of them got hurt, and I nursed him back to health. I named him Trailer because he is always trailing behind me. I can’t get rid of him. Last night my son tried to sneak out of the house to go to a concert I told him not to go to. He forgot his wallet and tried to sneak back in through the window he had come from. That puppy barked and attacked him, alerting us. My son was shocked he got caught. He suggested we change his name from Trailer to Traitor.”

Mr. Bridgeport burst out laughing.

“My son is more them twenty times the size of that animal. The point is, animals give back. COVID 19 takes a lot from us, but it also gives back something to us. Volcanoes give back to us through diamonds. Humans are the only species that takes and sometimes refuse to give.”

Samuel Bridgeport closed his eyes, fighting the emotion these words stirred up.

Mr. Cruise enlightens, “At birth, all of us are given a Kindness Account. It can only be activated when we give kindness, not when we receive it. The more generosity we share, the more interest we yield. It will be available to you when needed. Your benevolence opens many doors for you, and so have mine. Sometimes kindness will care!”

“Wow!” Samuel said. “You are right, I have never been here before. My father would say, live a good life, and life will pay you back with what you give.”

“We and goodwill can’t save everyone. Some people must save themselves, and they do that by how they live their lives!”

All of us were given a Kindness Account at birth. Your kind deeds, actions, choices, and decisions will activate your account. The interest will become available to you when you need any act of kindness in your life. Activate your KINDNESS ACCOUNT NOW!

Thank you for reading this piece. I hope you enjoyed it.