A Microdose of Hope
Whether it’s your co-worker in the corridor, a passing dog-walker on the street or your local supermarket cashier, I think it’s high time we abandoned our headphones and scrolling for a good old-fashioned ‘Hello’.
When my Mam was very ill with Alzheimer’s disease and no longer mobile, I would often take her out in her wheelchair, hoping the sight of burgeoning daffodils and gentle floating clouds would calm her. By then, Mam’s inhibitions had been lowered considerably to the extent that she would offer a loud, ‘Hello’ or even ‘What’s your name?’ to every stranger we encountered.
I’ll admit to inwardly squirming as she did this at first, especially when the passer-by looked particularly harried. But I was in for a surprise.
Instead of the abrupt, awkward replies or even silence I anticipated, there would often be an immediately warm response. I remember one woman in particular whose deep frown told of the worldly miseries she was lost in as she hurried along the path. Her whole vibe was distinctly, ‘Don’t bother me’.
Yet as soon as Mam greeted her with a booming, ‘Good morning’, her whole expression changed.
A sudden joy spread across the stranger’s face like a beaming rainbow. The instinct to be kind, to brighten the day of the frail, confused woman in her wheelchair momentarily overcame her troubles. Her gentle reply lifted our day and brought a tear to my eye.
It’s such an easy thing to do yet it carries such hope in it. Maya Angelou, in talking about the writing of her beautiful poem, ‘Still I Rise’, refers to the ‘nobleness’ of the human spirit in rising again each morning and having the grace to greet others with a ‘Good morning’ regardless of the grief or insecurities we may be carrying. Watch the full video here.
So, what stops us? For me, it’s often a false sense of busy-ness. I must cram podcast after podcast into my ears as I power through my walk. I need to scroll through my emails in the queue in case I miss anything. It’s like I can’t let a single moment of efficiency slip through my fingers.
Honestly, I’ll sometimes opt for the self-checkout just to avoid having to speak to anyone. As an introvert, I can get burned out by talking all day long. Do I really owe it to strangers to have to plaster on a smile and make chit-chat?
On balance, I think it’s often worth it. Offering tiny moments of ‘I see you’ to a fellow human being connects us more meaningfully to the world around us. Creating a ‘feel-good’ effect that can brighten our mood. it also boosts our own happiness, as Dr Rangan Chatterjee discusses here.
Wishing you a great week!
Carolyn xxx
Mini Journalling Prompt:
How can I forge some joyful micro-connections this week?
