What Does Kindness Look Like?

When one bikes in the early morning, she sees things. The world often looks, sounds, and smells differently. This morning, I left my house about an hour before sunrise. This time of year, that is 5:20 a.m. Long ago I learned that biking in the dark is a wonderful experience, especially on a starry night. My front light is bright, my back light blinks and I always wear a reflective vest.

A fringe benefit of biking in the early morning is very little traffic. This morning, being Labor Day, there was less traffic than usual. In the 3.4 miles into the city, I was passed by only three cars on the highway. Much later, in the four miles along the state highway, I was only passed by seven cars. Out in the country, my greatest fear is running into a skunk or being knocked off of my bike by a deer in the darkness of the early morning.

I made good time on the ride in so I headed farther south along the trail to get a different view. (Often when I am late, I stop at the same spot.) On the path in front of me, I noticed some books laid out, blocking half the trail. Since they were on the opposite side, I didn't stop. I wondered why someone would leave them there. Why not put them in a little free library? I thought to myself, I'll just set them on the nearby bench to remove them from the trail when I pass on the way back. However, on the return trip, when I stopped, I noticed that all of the books had cash in them, with most of them having a $20 bill sticking out. There was also a can of Mountain Dew and a package of cigarettes. I paused, hovering over the books and peered down from my bike. How curious! I admit that I thought some spare cash would be nice. But I quickly reflected that I didn't need it. Someone went through a lot of thought to put this here and get some comfort to someone in need. I took the photos, and then biked in a nearby parking lot. I was wondering if someone was hiding nearby to see the reaction of people. I was thinking of what a simple, kind gesture this was. Curious, I rode off northward on the trail.

I paused for the sunrise a mile from the books and thought about kindness. While I wasn't planning this, kindness became my theme for this ride. After watching the sunrise, breathing in the lake air and being mesmerized by the crashing waves, I continued on my thoughtful trek.

Sometimes kindness is subtle. We don't always notice it unless we pause to reflect. I guess that is why we are supposed to take time smelling the roses. I thought of all of the kind friends and family who I am connected with. Strong allies and lifelong friends. Last night I was unable to attend a social gathering. My friends were thoughtful enough to include vegetarian items to accommodate my diet. And one friend offered to drop off a delicious, berry dessert on the way home. This is kindness.

As I biked toward Two Rivers, I paused to look at the pergola and the picnic tables under it, made and installed by two eagle scouts. I saw the bench, donated by someone else. And I saw a couple of the flowerbeds, lovingly cared for by more

volunteers. This is kindness. If you follow me, you know that I've stepped up my biking lately. For the last 37 days, I've averaged 20 miles per day. Today, I biked 35 miles. I have learned that when I am exercising, specifically biking, the world truly does look different. And not just the physical world in the dark of morning. The sights, sounds, and smells of the world, with the people in it, seems incredible. I am much closer to life and I can feel how connected we all are. And it seems to me, from atop my bicycle seat, that if we are all indeed connected, it behooves us to be more kind to one another. I'm wondering: What does kindness look like to you?