My husband and I had a lunch date the other day, just at a local little place.  The people we see at places like this on an early lunch in the middle of the week always fascinate me.  As we were eating, we heard a gentleman behind us talking very loudly, discussing/ranting about various current events.  The rest of his group stayed relatively quiet so this man’s opinion was being very prominently broadcast throughout most of that side of the restaurant.   It’s always been a pet peeve of mine to hear other people’s conversations in public places like that, especially when you can tell they’re trying to be overheard.  I don’t like that kind of attention seeking and my ADD makes it extremely difficult to focus when there’s too much noise regardless of discerning the conversation.  Anyway, with the more I heard, I looked at my husband and rolled my eyes because some of the things this guy was saying were pretty far-fetched.  I can’t say the things he said were hateful or mean because they truly weren’t, but the topics were just things I would prefer not to hear when I’m just trying to enjoy a meal with my husband.  Obviously we have no control over things like that so I left it at an eye roll and was thinking to myself that they guy was speaking that way because he was scared.  He eventually left and we continued our meal.

Near the end of our meal, a group of about 6 teens and several adults walked past our table to head out of the restaurant.  As the group passed the table in front of us (not the one with the angrier gentleman above) the man sitting there asked one of the adults to stop and he questioned what was going on with all the kids.  She explained they were there for a conference and a competition.  The man started talking about how nice it was to see the kids participating in events like that and that he was so happy to see them smiling.  We heard him say, “I want to do this because it makes me happy,” and it was evident he was pulling out money and he asked how many kids were involved with the group.  I assumed he was trying to pay for the bill, especially as the teacher said she didn’t want to take that from him.  A few minutes later, she took the money and went outside.  Very shortly after the kids all came back in—the man had given each of them a two dollar bill for luck.  The kids thanked him and wanted to take a picture with him.  One of the students expressed he was grateful for it and that he also already carried a two dollar bill in his wallet.  It was so lovely to see it and such a switch from the conversation we’d just heard.

The group left and we prepared to leave and as we approached that table, my husband volunteered that he also carries a two dollar bill in his wallet.  This man broke into a grin praising the practice and then he asked, “Does your wife have one for her wallet?”.  I let him know that I keep one on my altar (I’ve had one on there for years) and he insisted I needed one for my wallet.  He pulled out a billfold of sorts and there was a stack of two dollar bills.  I tried to refuse but he just said, “This is what makes me happy.” I took the bill and thanked him for it profusely.  He simply said, “Keep smiling.”  The world is filled with such a variety of people and they all have different viewpoints and beliefs and values but to see the spectrum from such negative talk all the way to these kids succeeding in their competition to the wishes for luck, it was a beautiful experience.  Sometimes when we feel down a reminder comes along to tell us to see things differently.  Even when it gets crappy or tough, it will get better.  There are always reasons to have hope and to believe in something.  It doesn’t take much to give or even to receive joy.  It doesn’t need to be a grand act—it just needs to be genuine.  That bill sits in my wallet now and I will keep that bill with me as a reminder of that joy and a reminder to keep smiling because that is a legacy that matters.