Who Are Good Deeds Really Good For?

I had the opportunity to help someone the other day.

It was my birthday, so I was already flying high and looking forward to a celebratory cupcake.

As I approached my car in the parking lot, I heard an engine struggling to turn over. I looked for the source and didn’t see it at first. The closer I got to my destination, the louder it got.

When I opened my driver’s door, I spotted the pickup truck, its owner staring out the window while he took a break from attempting to crank his truck. A few seconds passed and he gave it another try with no positive outcome. He happened to be parked one spot over to my left, and he had pulled through. The spot in front of me was empty, just waiting for me to pull up and offer my assistance.

Due to recent car trouble of my own, I was in a position to help. I dug into my trunk and grabbed the nifty car kit Hubba-luv gifted me after my car battery died in December. I pulled out the brand new jumper cables (still in plastic wrap) and tentatively stepped toward the stranded motorist’s passenger window.

What if jumper cables wouldn’t fix the problem? Would I look like a total idiot?

I shoved that little devil off my shoulder, refusing to drive away and do nothing. I know the feeling of being stuck somewhere in a perfectly good car that’s temporarily out of order.

So I knocked on his window and held up the cables. “Need a jump?”

With relief and a little embarrassment, he got out and thanked me. I had yet to pull my car up into the empty spot, so I handed off the cables and got behind my wheel to do just that.

Then…it took us five minutes to find the hood release on my car. You’d think I would’ve remembered since it hadn’t been that long since I’d popped the hood to get a new battery.

The gentleman found it and told me to sit in the warm car while he did the rest. Did I mention it was about forty-five degrees? A little on the coolish side for me.

A moment later, he tapped on my window and handed me my cables. “I’ve got some I’ll use. Yours haven’t even been taken out of the pack yet. I don’t want to dirty them up.”

While he got his cables and did the honors, I unwrapped my shiny new ones and returned them to their cute little carrier, where I also found a small roll of duct tape. Now I’m confident I can survive any car situation that comes my way.

Once his truck was running, he closed my hood and thanked me again.

Even though it cost me very little time and effort, I drove away feeling even higher than I had when I’d come out of my BodyFlow class moments before. That’s when I wondered- Who are good deeds really good for? The one who gives or the one who receives?

Does it make you feel good to do something kind for someone else?