Simple Acts of Kindness and Love
Gandalf could not have been more right
In “The Hobbit,” the wizard Gandalf the Grey is discussing the fate of Middle Earth with Galadriel when she enquires about why Bilbo Baggins has come along. His response is as follows:
“Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.”
This is what I have found as well. There have been acts involving great power that have held back evil, events such as the D-Day invasion of France to end Hitler’s reign, or the armies of Sitting Bull that stood against General George Custer. But these are not the events that have kept most of the world’s evil in check. It is those common, everyday acts of people whose kindness and caring make living on Earth just a little more bearable.
I’ve witnessed these acts in the actions of others and have tried to emulate them in my own life whenever I can. What follows is a small chronicle of some of those small acts of kindness and love of which Gandalf speaks.
At the home improvement store where I work, most of the people there are part-time workers. Some like me are retired from our careers, but many others rely on…
