Keep it Flowing

On that cold evening, an usual tired day after work, there was this long 5 minutes wait for the bus in the main station. I was looking at the tram that was loading the people in front of me. How badly I wished it was my tram so that I could escape the cold winds and sit by the warm heater in the tram and put my head on the window. But this tram isn't going my way and I can't remember one thing that went my way that day.

As the doors of the tram is closing, I see an young man in suit running towards the tram probably with all the stamina that's left out of him on that Monday. He had a smile though, as if all that mattered now to him was to catch the tram. Maybe if he could catch this tram, he could make it up to cooking together with his flatmate. Maybe if he could catch this tram, he could make it to watch the football match right from the start. Maybe he can rehearse the lines of his proposal two more times before he goes to his date. Maybe he can cuddle with his wife on his couch little more before she is sleepy. Maybe he could play with his child 20 minutes longer. Maybe if he could catch this tram, he can simply sleep longer. Whatever he ran towards the tram as if nothing else mattered to him.

I saw him and instantly I could hear the tram doors clicked and I tried to open it by pressing the button. But to add to one more thing that ain't going my way, the doors didn't open and the tram started moving. I felt sorry for the guy who just reached the tram door panting but he couldn't make it to the tram. Yet, he saw me and looked as if he understood that I am feeling sorry for him. He thanked me for my lame attempt in opening the tram doors with his smile again.

Maybe that's one smile I probably noticed that day. An unusual stranger's grateful smile is the one thing that made me smile that day. I badly wished he could make it to the tram. Oh wait...the tram stopped for the signal near the end of the station. All hopes coming up high, my eyes and his legs went to the front door of the tram where he can see the driver and hope he opens the doors. He stood there and asked the driver. The driver hesitated to open as the red light might go green anytime and he has to start the tram. The doors remained closed and so are my fingers praying to let it open.

And after 10 seconds, the signal was still red. It was maybe waiting for a right gesture from the driver. And the driver opened the door. The man was so happy and his smile wide enough as the open doors and he went in, turning back and thanking me as if I am the one who is responsible for the tram to open the doors.

My smile grew wider and I felt it, the small part they say, happiness. I looked at another stranger's smiling face inside the tram who was watching the entire episode and waved a thumbs up at me. My 5 mins wait became more grateful and satisfied.

This is a normal incident. But, the act of me trying to open the door to him made him smile at me and thank me, which made me smile and feel happy. And we both made a another person who was watching the act of gracefulness and smiled and felt happy.

You do good to others without expecting and the goodness will find its way back to you without you expecting. A small act of kindness established a smile in three stranger's faces and maybe that's all it takes to have a smile when you sleep. Kindness is overflowing joy. Keep it flowing.