Be Kind by Roger Harmon

Be Kind

By Roger Harmon

“This is Hard,” declares the curtain above. The message is reflected in the rough stitching and the wrinkled fabric.

The curtain maker tells us in the companion window, “Be Kind to Yourself and Others.”

The Albuquerque storefront bearing these curtains is Neo Thread. The store has been closed by the pandemic for over three months.

I have never seen what is behind those curtains. When that shop finally opens I will go find out.

And I will find out who that curtain maker is. I think I’ll meet a kind soul.

That is only a hunch. But a good hunch, because in addition to those curtains, other beautiful things are happening in that row of shops.

The day I first saw the curtains, I also witnessed the scene in the photo below: A barista from two shops away offered a man on the sidewalk a cup of ice water and some gentle words.

Since seeing those hand stitched curtains, since witnessing that simple offering of water I haven’t been the same. In these pandemic times I’ve been:

More Grateful.

More Compassionate.

Slower.

Softer.

I’m intending to carry these qualities forward.