Kindness Costs Nothing

It’s so easy to move around in this world feeling like you’re invisible.

Since becoming a mum, life has changed. I don’t go out as much as I used to, and I definitely socialise less. After a while, you start to realise your world revolves around one person, and it has become much smaller.

It might just be a BP servo (Australian slang for a gas station), but they have great coffee. It tastes good, they have the best caramel flavouring, and it’s the cheapest coffee around. Throw in the loyalty card where every fifth coffee is free, and what’s not to love?

I could stop right here. For me, this is already a small win.

I’d been going there for a few weeks, usually ordering my coffee through the app and picking it up. It was just a regular part of my morning routine, nothing special, something I almost did without thinking.

Sometimes, in the morning rush, they’d be busy and I would have to wait a few minutes. Perfectly reasonable for a shop that sells petrol as well as coffee.

They were always polite and apologised for the wait. I’d always smile and say it’s okay. That’s what you do, right?

Then one day, I was sick, and my husband went to pick up the coffee. When he told them he was there to collect Sandy’s coffee, they explained that there were two Sandys who had ordered coffee through the app, and they had been trying to work out which one was which.

They finally had it figured out. Sandy G (that’s me) was the “good” Sandy. Yes, there is another Sandy out there who orders coffee from BP, and she is known as the “bad” Sandy.

Up until this point, I wouldn’t have considered anything I do to be overly nice or good. I was just a tired mum picking up her morning coffee who smiled politely and said “please” and “thank you.”

But somehow, in today’s world, this simple act has made me a “good” person.

The next time I came in, they chatted excitedly, asking if my husband had told me the news. They then went on to tell me the “bad” Sandy had been in that morning. They were busy and they hadn’t made her coffee when she arrived; she ended up storming out without it.

That’s really her loss, I thought.

Sometimes they were busy, but they would still smile and say “Hi”, and I would say “Have a good day” as I left, happy with my delicious coffee.

This Saturday, I popped in on my morning walk with my son. They saw me and smiled. One staff member said, “She’s just making it now,” and I moved to the side. They didn’t look busy, so I said, “Have you been busy today?” She said no, and we started a conversation about how we like to be busy at work so the time goes quicker.

My coffee was ready, and she gave me a wink as she handed it over.

And it was the biggest coffee I’ve ever seen.

The large one I always think about ordering, but then “sensible” Sandy says, “It’s too big, much more expensive and unnecessary.” The beautiful staff at BP had upsized my coffee for free.

As I continued on our walk, I glanced down at the cup and saw that it had a message on it. I wiped away the beads of condensation on the side and saw:

Make today Magical

As I walked along in the sunshine, sipping my giant iced latte, it occurred to me that we might have both made each other’s day a little more magical.

It’s so easy to move around in this world feeling like you’re invisible. But a simple act, such as general kindness, just might make another person’s day a little more magical ✨