Kindness When You Least Expect It

K.S.D. was with her daughter at a Peet’s in Oakland the other night, and they noticed a boy who took a disposable cup and began filling it with honey and cream and “anything else he could find on the caddy” of beverage-friendly condiments. Two Oakland police officers came in and seemed to be watching the boy. When K.S.D. caught the eye of one of them, he smiled at her, as if to let her know that everything was fine.

One officer approached the boy and spoke to him, softly. “He asked how the boy’s day had gone, how was school, etc. Then the officer commented on the concoction the boy had made, saying it didn’t look very healthy. . . .

“The officer took the boy over to the counter and said to choose anything and everything that he wanted. The boy walked away with a full bag” and quickly began to devour its contents. “The officer also handed him a large bottle of water, told him to take care of himself and to enjoy the rest of the day.”

And may you, too, go with grace and food.