For me, kindness is one of the most important qualities in a human being. One cannot be cruel and kind. Or angry and kind. Or hurtful and kind. Or selfish and kind. Kindness is a solely love-filled act.

During the two years its taken to renovate the inside of my house I’ve experienced unexpected kindness. I’ve written before about the total stranger in Screwfix who, learning I’d been diagnosed with a brain tumour, screeded my bedroom floor with concrete for nothing then laid the laminate flooring. I’ve also written before about my massage therapist who, on learning I’d run out of money to do the lounge, turned up on my doorstep one afternoon with a trailer load of free plasterboard.

I’ve also written before about my builder who screwed me over, knowing I was ill, alone and broke. He happened to be a family member, which made the betrayal all the worse. It’s unbelievable to me that I’ve experienced the most kindness not from those who professed to care about or love me, but from strangers who expected nothing in return.

Today I am honouring kindness from a different source. I won’t give the man’s name or job title, but he works for the Council and is usually looked upon with the same warmth as a Tax Inspector – in other words his visits are dreaded. He had to come to my property on several occasions during my garage conversion, but each time was nothing but kind. He could have made my life so much more difficult than it already was, yet empathising with my situation he chose to help instead.

I’ve now made a start on renovating the outside of the house and am having my extensive driveway tarmacked. This will involve having to find new drainage solutions for surface water run off and I thought my only option was to dig a soak away. I looked up all the regulations for installing a soak away and could barely make head nor tail of them. I knew I needed to do a percolation test but couldn’t even work out what size trial pit to dig, plus I know we have clay soil here and there was a strong chance the percolation test would fail.

In desperation, and not knowing what else to do, I emailed and asked the Council man if he could offer me some guidance. Three hours later a car pulls up outside my house and out he steps. After discussion it was decided that I didn’t need a soak away after all but could tee into the existing drain, if the man with the digger who’s coming to do my pond in a fortnight could dig a trench.

Providing SUDS information isn’t part of this man’s job, yet in his kindness he helped me nevertheless. He left with a “if you need any help at all in the future just ring me.” 🙏🏻

In this age of jobs worths, self-absorption and conditional action, finding real kindness is rare. When it does happen I’m so grateful that it actually makes me tearful. To think that someone would help me, particularly in a practical way as it’s that I struggle with the most, without expecting anything in return is such a blessing and restores my faith in humanity.

Kindness brings both the giver and the receiver joy and is food for the Soul.