It's Nothing

A friend of mine who lives close by has been having a very tough time for quite a while. Also, because of various health problems it can be hard for her to get around. Like me, she has no family here in the Boston area, but unlike, me, both of her parents passed away. As of late, she hasn't been feeling well, so I make it a point to check in on her to see how she's doing.

Yesterday was a pretty bad day for her, so I offered to pick up something for her to eat after I was done with work. Initially, she said yes, but then she started to feel worse, and said that I could come by another time. I knew that she needed to eat, so I told her I'd be in the neighborhood, so I could just stop by and drop off the food. She agreed, and so that's what I did.

I planned to just hand off the stuff and leave, but she said she was feeling a bit better and invited me in. While we were chatting I assured her that it wasn't a big deal for me to stop by. I only live a subway stop away. She said she doesn't know enough people with that attitude, but to me, that's just common courtesy. Like I told her, I grew up in the country, where I had to drive to see my friends. Taking the subway one stop is nothing. Also, even if I had to drive to see her, if she needed me, I'd go.

It's pretty sad that a simple act of kindness has become such a rarity in today's society. To me it makes perfect sense to visit a friend who's unwell, and to bring them whatever they might need. I know that in many regards I'm an anomaly, but this is ridiculous!