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Letter: Small acts of Christmas kindness make for one merry reader

A helping hand in the checkout line. An offer of a ride up a steep hill. Little things can make a big difference, this reader attests. 💝
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Small gestures go a long way, especially at this time of the year.

Dear Editor,

This is how part of how my real-life Christmas Eve went.

I was glad that the snow had stopped falling and had started melting so I could make it out to get a few things from our local shopping area. The walk there was not great as for one block nobody had shovelled their sidewalks and I had to walk out on the road.

My first stop was at the library to drop off a couple of items and get some new ones.

As I normally do, I sat in the reading area and read the daily paper before I left. Lots of doom and gloom in the international news of course, so many people will most definitely not be having much to celebrate this Christmas.

After I left the library I went to the grocery store to buy the other things I was out to get.

I found everything I had needed and got in the line for the checkouts. There had been a few people in the line ahead of me so I knew it would be a bit of a wait.

One of the employees came up to me and asked, “Is that all you have and does nothing have to be weighed?”

I said yes and she took me to the customer service counter, bypassing the wait for the checkouts.

When I took my items out of the bag I realized that I did indeed have one bulk item that would have to be weighed. She laughingly said that she could weigh it but would charge me double.

She didn’t of course, and I was out of the store quicker than if she had not taken me out of the regular lineup.

Now for the trip back home: Same route but in reverse of course.

At the part where I have to walk up a short hill a car going my direction stopped on the road and called out to me asking if I wanted a lift. I thanked the woman very much for the offer and explained that I was only two houses from home.

We both smiled and wished each other a Merry Christmas.

All it takes is a couple of people like that to make your day so much merrier!

Don McBain,
North Vancouver

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