Random acts of kindness are, by definition, meant to surprise those who receive them, correct?

I mean, they occur at random, meaning that you don’t expect them to be delivered to you.

Well, today in Princeton, I received a random act that I want to share with you because, well, I am in a sharing mood.

I took my truck to a motor vehicle washing business this morning. I drove to the vacuum pumps first to clean out the interior of the Ranger I drive. I pulled the driver’s side floor mat out and began vacuuming it. A young man next to me apparently noticed that I was having a bit of trouble bending over to operate the vacuum pump. Hey, I am 74 years of age and he is a good bit younger.

He grabbed the vacuum from my hand and cleaned the floor mat. I sought to tell him that I was all right, that he didn’t need to do it.

His answer? “God told me to help you.” 

Now, how in the world am I going to tell him to disobey a directive from the Almighty? He finished the job, handed the vacuum back to me and finished the work he was doing on his own vehicle.

I don’t bitch routinely about the state of the world. I realize there’s kindness to be found all the time. I received a bit of it this morning … and I am grateful to the young man for extending this random act.