…how you affect someone else’s life. Have you ever thought about how you might? Probably not. But you do. Somehow. You just don’t realize it.

David and I stopped by a fundraiser at Delaney’s in Downtown Spartanburg tonight. For Mitzi McCallister. She was a bartender at Delaney’s. Based on tonight’s attendance, I gather she was so much more than that. I don’t really know much more about her because I only knew her as the cute, happy bartender at Delaney’s who took great care of my friends and I when we frequented Delaney’s. And that was enough for us to stop by and contribute to the cause.

Mitzi died a couple of weeks ago. Suddenly. Early 30s. Aneurysm, I’m told.

I saw her many times. Didn’t think much about our exchanges. We just had pleasant conversations and went on our merry ways. But these past couple of weeks I’ve thought about her. And how I never thought much about our quick, brief conversations yet, I’m thinking about her now. And wondering if she knew how many folks she might have just touched in her short life.

I know she probably didn’t because none of us ever do. We don’t think about how who we are and what we do affects others. Not in little ways. We don’t think about the small encounters in our lives at the local bar or gas station or getting deli meat or paying our water bill or whatever. But we should. I’ve met some of closest friends by waiting on them in a restaurant. And met many more good friends by them waiting on me.

We’re just people. All of us—living our lives. 

So the next time you go into a bar or a grocery store or a gas station or anywhere you encounter another human being…smile and be nice. Even when they’re not. Even if your tea gets low. Or you have wait longer than you think you should. Yes, there are some who aren’t just nice or helpful or are slow. But, most of the time people are just trying to do their jobs.

Sometimes we all have bad days and that’s okay. Just be nice. It matters. Take the high road if you must. We never know where someone else is coming from but that shouldn’t keep us from being nice to another. You never know how your smile and kindness just might make someone else’s day.

RIP Mitzi. Thanks for sharing your smile and often making me forget while I wasn’t smiling myself.

:) t