Elevator Conversations

“The world needs more people like you,” she said.

I raised my head and looked toward her.

“Thank you,” I said softly.

The elevator door opened and she stepped off. As the elevator doors closed, I was left alone still thinking about her comment. As I replayed the moment in my mind, I couldn’t help notice how her comment, seemingly innocent, and maybe even a little out of context, sparked something in me. The result was an uplift in my mood and a change in my perspective. I felt noticeably better as a result of this stranger’s words. Random acts of kindness don’t have to be monetary or physical in gesture. They can be, seemingly innocuous words, that are spoken at just the right time.

That interaction occurred on a Monday morning. A Monday morning, I dreaded more than others. Not because of work projects, coworkers or meetings, but because it was the Monday after a dramatic weekend in which my seven-year relationship came to an abrupt end.

I woke up and got ready for work. Not looking forward to the day ahead, I did everything I could to be comfortable, avoid eye contact and discourage conversation. I wore my favorite olive-green sweater and wide leg black pants. I stopped for coffee and a sugary pastry. I wore a scowl and kept my head down. All the while watching the thoughts of anger, betrayal and worthlessness pass in my head. All I kept thinking was about the long and difficult road ahead.

I parked my car in the parking structure at work, walked down the stairs and into the lobby. My office was on the 5th floor and our building was serviced by two elevators. I pressed the call button and waited patiently. The elevator door opened, I stepped inside, pressed 5 and turned around. As I turned around, I noticed a lady enter the lobby. I looked at her and held my arm out to stop the doors from closing. She quickened her pace and entered the elevator, selecting her floor.

The elevator doors closed as she said, “Thank you.”

I nodded.

She continued to say, “The world needs more people like you.”

I couldn’t help but wonder what she had experienced that made her feel the act of holding an elevator was the mark of a certain type of person that was scarce in the world. I also couldn’t help to think that her poor experiences weren’t in vain. Her comment was not directly related to my current situation or emotional state, but nonetheless, her words sparked something in me. Perhaps it was a reminder that I still mattered. Even though something in my life had ended, and someone I cared for had made another choice, I still had something to offer. I was needed in this world, even if I couldn’t see it at the moment, and even if I wasn’t needed by someone who I thought needed me.

Perhaps I read much too far into the moment, however, for that moment to stick with me after five years shows that a cord was struck. It also serves as a reminder to me, that, while monetary gestures are nice, sometimes the most powerful gestures of kindness and love are free. They are saying the words you feel nudged to say, even if you don’t understand the context or reason. They are sharing a smile with someone who has a scowl, even if they don’t smile back. It is knowing that just by being who you are, and going about doing what you do, you can affect someone in a positive way. Perhaps the most genuine acts of kindness occur when we are just being ourselves, reacting honestly and from a space of love, to the world around us.