I had, what could only be described (by me) as a pretty difficult morning.

I was yelled at for 20 minutes for something that I did not cause, and had very little to do with.

Someone decided to take out their anger and frustration and aggression on me.

Perhaps this was cosmic Retribution for something I’ve done in the past.

Regardless, it was a rough morning.

And by 6 PM, I was feeling pretty done with people, with work, and with life in general.

Perhaps you’ve been there at some point in life?

I went for a walk, planning that I would end up at the grocery store.

When there, I picked up the best bag of discounted grapes I could find, some almond milk, a tangerine, and some coconut water.

I was talking with Carrie on the phone on my way to the checkout counter, and suddenly realized I had left my wallet.

I had no money.

Returning my grapes (and feeling like a complete moron) someone asked me “Something wrong with those grapes?”

“No,” I said. “I think these are the best grapes available here.”

I was carrying all of my picked up groceries back to the various places in the store to put them back.

But the man came who had been at the grapes came up to me (like went out of his way to find me in the back of the store) and said, “Hey man, I will probably meet you again, but even if you don’t, I’ve got your groceries.”

I think my groceries might have cost $8.24 at the checkout.

That’s what he covered for me.

However, to Nej, the math professor at Auraria, who picked up the cost of my groceries at the store today, your gesture meant the world to me.

It reminded me how a very little act can make a huge difference in someone’s day.

If you can make a difference in someone’s day, you can make their week different.

If you can make their week different, you can make their month, year, and life different.

You probably can’t change who they are, but you can change their experience in the world, just by being kind.

Nej, we may or may not ever meet again. However, thank you for picking up my groceries today.

It meant a lot to me.