Reminding Myself to Be Grateful

I volunteered at this building for 5 years. The inside is gorgeous, with white carpet everywhere.

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One day I turned the corner and saw muddy footprints leading from the lobby to the changing room. I was angry. “Who would be so careless?” I thought.

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Then I noticed another volunteer on their hands and knees, silently scrubbing the footsteps clean, one by one, all the way to the locker room.

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My attitude quickly changed from anger to admiration. I paused and watched for a moment, my mind racing with all the potential analogies (I love analogies). The volunteer then got the master key, took out the patron’s shoes from the locker, washed them and gently placed them back.

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When the patron came back to change and leave, they likely never knew any of that had happened. Maybe that person went on to have a hard day and thought “does anyone even care about me?”.

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I think back to this moment frequently. How many people have silently served me and I never even found out about it? I want to become the person silently scrubbing and not the person judging. I'm too often the latter.

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I’m grateful for all those who silently and selflessly serve me in some way or another, and I hope I can be that person to others as well.