Kindness in Dunoon, Scotland

The news media is filled with horrible images and stories about atrocities in the world. Yet, there is kindness.

Because husband Alan can no longer walk we do a lot of traveling with him in a wheelchair. Everywhere we go, folks here in Dunoon, Scotland, wrap us in kindness. If Savannah’s leash gets caught in one of the back wheels and I have to help Alan out of the chair and have him hold something while I turn the chair upside down to free the leash—I get shouldered out of the way by eager helpers. Strangers not only take over coaxing the leash out of the chair—they also support Alan as he stands waiting to get back into his chair.

There is chaos in the world, but there is also kindness.

At the entrance to every shop, someone opens the door. They often come in twos or threes and hold Savannah while I maneuver the chair inside, and hold the door open, and tug on the front of the chair to help me get it over the hump. If it’s a restaurant, they run ahead of us and move chairs out of the way so we can get through.

In spite of all that is wrong with the world, there is also kindness.

When Alan spent five months in the hospital, a lovely couple from our church walked Savannah for me every day while I visited Alan in the hospital. Other people in the neighborhood also offered. Friends dropped by to visit him and our church even held a service in the hospital for him.

In a world of hurt, hate, and anger—there is also kindness.

It rains here in Dunoon almost daily. It is 40 degrees colder than my Texas blood likes. When my son Luke was stationed in Hawaii he called excited by the beauty around him. “Mom, everything green has a bloom on it and it is always the perfect temperature.”

The climate is miserable in Dunoon, Scotland, yet there is beauty.

When I am tempted to whine and complain, I remember Luke’s words. Then I tell myself that Dunoon is like a cold climate Hawaii. Everything is vibrant green and almost every green thing has a bloom on it.

It’s amazing how gratitude and thankfulness can transform the world around us and how much kindness there is if we just look for it.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise worthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8

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A Good Attitude Equals Altitude

We choose our altitude daily by choosing our attitude. Today was a good example for me.

A man stood beside his car which was parked along the curb in the traffic lane. His door was partially open. He was on the phone. Because of oncoming traffic, I was forced to stop behind his car and wait before I could go around him and continue. Minor irritation.

After I turned into Dunoon and parked, a young mother came along the sidewalk with her child. A window cleaner had his ladder leaning against the building on the corner and was busy at work. The toddler clapped his hands in excitement and asked, “Is he cleaning the window? Is that his ladder?” The mother stooped down to the child’s level and said, “Yes, Cameron. Well done. The man is cleaning the window. That is his ladder. Is it safe for Cameron to climb his ladder?”

The young boy considered the height of the building and the top of the ladder and shook his head. “Cameron might fall.” The mother hugged him and agreed. “Yes. Well done. Cameron should never climb a ladder he sees leaning against a building because Cameron might fall.”

I laughed and complimented the mother for the good job she was doing teaching her son. It made her smile. Her smile made me smile. Making the mother smile brightened my day. An attitude with altitude.

It made me think; had I leaned out the window and yelled at the driver beside his car talking on the phone—it would not have brightened my day. I could have chosen to justify my action by rationalizing; “He is inconsiderate. He should have enough sense not to stand beside his car and talk on his phone when he is blocking traffic.”

Perhaps it was inconsiderate of the driver. But perhaps when his phone rang it was an emergency from home; important news from a doctor about his medical condition, or a call from the hospital where his wife was in critical condition. Not knowing the circumstances that caused him to answer the phone before he got into his car leaves me in no position to judge his actions. It does give me a choice—bad attitude and low altitude, or good attitude and soaring.

I chose an attitude with altitude. I chose joy.

“A person has joy by the answer of their mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” Proverbs 15:23.

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Justifiable Crankiness?

I remember a song from when I was a kid about walking on the sunny side of the street. Walking our rough collie dog is a constant reminder. When sun batters through clouds in our part of Scotland—which is extremely rare in a marine climate where it rains nearly every day, I want to walk on the sunny side of the street. The best grass and the best sniffing places for Savannah, however, are apparently on the west side of the street where the sun is blocked by eight-foot high hedges and stone fences. So dog happily walks in the shade, sniffing…and I shuffle along behind her casting yearning glances at the other side of the street—the sunny side.

“On the Sunny Side of the Street” was written by Dorothy Fields in the 1930s. Here are a few of the lyrics:

Grab your coat and grab your hat, baby
Leave your worries on the doorstep
Just direct your feet
On the sunny side of the street

Can’t you hear the pitter-pat
That happy tune is your step
Life can be so sweet
On the sunny side of the street

The nearly magical aspect of the sunny side of the street is that you can walk there even in the rain—if you let the peace of God rule your thoughts. You can be someone’s sunshine even on the darkest days.

I failed this morning. I’ve heard of “justifiable homicide,” but I engaged in… justifiable crankiness? Alan received an appointment letter for a home visit from a doctor from the local hospital. The letter directed, “if you are unable to keep this appointment call (number) as soon as possible.” Alan is still in the hospital, so I called that number several times—but it didn’t work. The letter head identified the hospital, but gave no phone number. So, feeling sympathy for older people who don’t have access to the internet, I looked up the number on the computer and called. I should have saved the sympathy for me. The number went to a switchboard, which went to another switchboard, which went to yet a third switchboard that finally quipped, “You cannot leave a message at this number. Please call…” I was on the way out the door to catch the ferry and get across the water to visit Alan, so I didn’t have a pen. I ran back to the desk for a pen and jotted down the number. I called. Yay! A live person. The live person said, “I’ve never heard of that doctor. I have no record of that appointment. If you will just hold…”

“I can’t hold. I’m on the way out the door to catch the ferry.”

“If you will leave your number, I will have someone call you.”

“I won’t be here. I’m on the way to catch the ferry.”

“Someone will call you later…”

“I don’t want anyone to call me latter. I just want to cancel the appointment and catch the ferry.”

“Let me give you another number…”

I hung up. Epic fail. I left the sunny side of the street.

I got to the ferry just in time. The sun came out. It was a beautiful day for riding on the sunny side of the water, but I had left a person behind somewhere at some switchboard sitting under a storm cloud, because I forgot Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.”

It was Scotland’s NHS. Did that make it justifiable crankiness?

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Scary Words

“Oh, I know who you are. I’ve seen you…”

Scary words. When did they see me? What was I doing? Picking my nose? Scratching some unsavory body part clandestinely? Wearing old clothes—undoubtedly that. Or was it even more sinister?

Was I wearing a grumpy frowny face instead of a smile? Was my attitude or expression akin to the signs some folks post on their gates: “Beware! It Bites!”

Was I slumped over with worry and distress resembling depictions of Atlas condemned to hold up the heavens and the sky—an unacceptable posture for a Christian who is to cast all their care upon God.

Was I being kind? Or unkind? Loving or spiteful? Helpful or impatient?

A smile is such an easy and essential fixture to install—but did I forget and leave my smile at home. “I’ve seen you…”

What did they see?

“Keep yourselves in the love of God.” Jude 21

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