Christmas is often a time when we try to dig a little deeper to be kind, generous, compassionate, grateful…all the things that make humanity worthwhile.
But having that holiday spirit isn’t always easy when in the middle of conflict. Let’s face it—when someone isn’t kind to us, the hardest thing to do is come back with the best version of ourselves. A special time of the year isn’t going to change that.
And yet, it’s much easier to retain this wisdom when we see it in action elsewhere. Which is why a certain video is making the rounds on TikTok and inspiring others to, as the saying goes, be the change they want to see in the world.
In a now-viral clip shared by several accounts online, we see a man speaking with his neighbor, an elderly woman, on the his porch.
The conversation, all caught on the man’s football camera, appeared to be a confrontation as the elderly woman had come to raise her concerns over the man’s rope Christmas lights, which she claimed were keeping her up at night.
“We went through this before, sweetheart,” the man said in the clip, reminding her that the police came by previously and determined that the lights couldn’t be shining through her bedroom window and causing any disturbance.
Indeed, they had gone head-to-head regarding the Christmas lights before. A previous video showed the woman knocking on his door at 1:30 am to complain about them, resulting in the man saying he would call the cops. The interaction didn’t go much farther than that, but it certainly wasn’t a smooth one.
Many noted that the woman could have been dealing with dementia, which would explain her forgetting any previous encounters.
It’s easy to see how this second altercation could have quickly escalated into something ugly, but instead, the man promised to have lights off by 10 pm at the woman’s request. No sarcasm or passive aggressive tone—just 100% kindness.
And then, the man surmised that this woman didn’t come over to discuss Christmas lights at all. What she was really after was companionship.
@mrdenali69 A true gentleman she’s probably dealing with demntia or something. Im glad he wasn’t mean to her.
“I think you just need to come over when you’re lonely,” he said, offering for her to come over anytime she feels lonely to have some food, wine and a chat.
Completely taken by surprise, the woman’s hand rushed to her cheeks, and she began apologizing again. But her neighbor simply laughed it off, reassuring her that all was well.
Perhaps the man was right. The holidays can be a lonely time for anyone, but it can hit especially hard for seniors. A survey carried out by AARP in 2017 found that 28 percent of U.S. adults ages 50 and older reported feeling lonely during a holiday season. And that was before a worldwide pandemic.
So maybe this woman saw those Christmas lights, a bittersweet reminder of what she might be missing out on, and was hit with an inexorable yearning for connection without even being aware of her own pain. Who knows.
One thing is for sure—his compassion completely changed the situation, and maybe even their relationship. It’s a beautiful reminder of just how powerful kindness can be.
Source: https://www.upworthy.com/christmas-lights-complaint