Yesterday afternoon we visited the Irvine Spectrum, a huge outdoor mall about 25 minutes away from our home. It was me, my kids, my brother, my mom and my dad. We did what families do when they roam outdoor malls on the day before Thanksgiving. We ate, shopped, looked at stuff, passed the time between then and now.
Anyhow, at one point we split up. My folks and brother went to the Barnes & Noble, my kids wrapped up playing some video games at Dave and Busters. Ultimately we met at the book store. I entered, walked toward the sports section in the rear and spotted the above event unfolding.
It was my dad, and he was taking a copy of “Boys Will Be Boys,” my ’90s Dallas Cowboys biography, and moving it from a low shelf to a top shelf. I actually caught him on video, and I think he was a tiny bit embarrassed.
He shouldn’t have been.
It was one of the most loving gestures I’ve had directed my way in a long time. There was no gain for him and, probably, no gain for me. There’s a 95.6 percent chance a book store clerk walked by within the next few hours and placed the book back at its rightful spot on the bottom.
Kindness, though, is kindness.
Love is love.
Happy Thanksgiving.
