Before my husband and I downsized to an apartment, we lived in a 3,000+ square foot house which we shared with our kids and my parents, for a total of six people under one roof. During the hottest part of the summer a few years back, our heat pump went out and the house was getting quite warm during the day. I was hopeful that it would be fixed soon, but four days had gone by, and it was still very uncomfortable. Apparently, the part that needed to be replaced was not in stock and was being overnighted for delivery the next day. Although the waiting was frustrating, these things happen, and it was nobody’s fault.
I’d been trying to stay productive around the house, but it was getting increasingly difficult to do anything due to the heat. My husband, calling from work, insisted that I get out of the house and go someplace cool. I finally decided I needed some relief, so I hopped into my non air-conditioned car (the A/C went out about a month after we bought it, just in time for the worst heat of the summer). I decided to take my laptop and hang out at the nearest Panera Bread to have lunch, work, and escape the heat for a while.
I’d been sitting in an area of the restaurant which was kind of secluded. I’d been there for about an hour and got a call from my husband. He was on his way home, and I told him I was still at Panera. He could tell I was frustrated due to the heat, and, ever the glass-half-full kinda guy he is, he told me I should watch funny videos to lift my spirits. I told him I left the house and forgot my headphones. We hung up and I went back to my work. After a few minutes, a teenage girl who had been sitting at a nearby table came over to me and said, “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but I overheard your conversation, and you’re welcome to use my headphones.”
I told her how much I appreciated her gesture, but I was planning on heading home shortly, but thanked her profusely. I have to admit, I was totally caught off guard by her willingness to help. I’ll be honest, it’s not the norm to have a teenage girl reach out to a middle-aged woman just to loan me her headphones. I was pleasantly surprised by this gesture.
Unfortunately, these days, teens get a bad rap. When they reach out and do something unexpected, most of us question it. However, this act of pure kindness really stuck with me.
I got to a stopping place with my work and packed up. A few moments later, her mom came around the corner with their food. She sat at another table so she could let her daughter work on her mandatory summer reading assignment.
I was about ready to leave, when I turned to this sweet teenager and thanked her again for her gesture. She had a book and a notepad on the table. Since it’s difficult for me to turn off my extrovert side, I started a conversation. She was so well spoken and polite. She told me she was starting her sophomore year of high school the next day and hadn’t finished her summer reading project. That led on to all sorts of topics, like athletics, family, her goals. It was such a wonderful conversation and the whole time I felt so lucky to have this encounter with a girl who I felt would go on to do great things.
We finished up our conversation and I went to clear my dishes. Her mom had been on a phone call in the other booth and had just hung up as I was leaving. I told her, “You have an amazing daughter there.” She thanked me so much and I told her about how we met and our conversation. Her mom was so appreciative of my words about her daughter, which made me so happy! After about 20 minutes of chatting, we ended up trading phone numbers and hugging as I left.
I have to admit, I don’t have many friends that I socialize with in my life right now. I spend a lot of time by myself, which even though I don’t mind solitude from time to time, I sometimes long for a good conversation here and there. Today I felt so happy because I was picked to meet Caroline, a sophomore in high school, that I’m convinced will do amazing things in her life. I was also picked to meet her mom. She instilled in me how true it is when you hear the phrase, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”