By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com

Compassionate eyes greet an elderly woman and motion her to the front of the masked and socially distanced checkout line in Smith’s Marketplace.

That small gesture had profound impact recently for in that moment she wasn’t invisible, she mattered, her spirits were lifted, and she shared that treasured encounter with family and friends for days.

She was treated with kindness again several days later at Smith’s. As she attempted to pay for her groceries the checker told her a person ahead of her in line had left $25 to cover her bill. Touched by that kindness she passed it on, asking the checker to give that money to a shopper truly in need.

If that wasn’t enough to melt her heart, when this woman turned 90 earlier this year her church honored her with a special parade.

The ripple effect from such acts of kindness is immeasurable and often the antidote for those suffering anxiety and depression induced by our global pandemic.

As grave as this pandemic is, there are individuals embracing that adversity as a challenge to seek out opportunities to ease the burdens of others in some small way.

As the pandemic rages on, stories like these are becoming more common, especially in this community, which is home to so many inspirational people.