A small act of kindness can last a lifetime

My past has caught up with me. It happened when a new friend moved into my “neighborhood.”

She knew me in my other life – the before TV, radio and newspaper life. And did she ever have a long memory.

“Hello, Mrs. Luginbill,” the Facebook query began. “That’s how I remember you as a kid from Southgate Elementary. I think I was in first or second grade.”

Suddenly, as if it were yesterday, I saw the little group of girls clustering around me. I was the “Duty” on playground, the official who kept order with a shrill whistle draped about my neck.

It wasn’t a glamorous job, standing in the chill of the winter wind during recess, but it provided “pin money” to help with a few extras after our move from California. A warm coat for the Northwest weather had been a “must have” purchase. And in those late ‘70’s and early 80’s, we saw some of the coldest winters.

Jennifer, the little girl now grown up, remembered the brutal weather – and my coat, too.

“It was furry and just plain glamorous,” she wrote. “The coat almost symbolized a happy life we might aspire to. We were like groupies, and you were our chosen movie star.”

Funny how different my perspective was back then. I saw little children wanting warmth and hugs – and needing their exercise, too.

Eventually, I would shoo them away to play, knowing their pent-up energy could spill over into the classroom.

In spite of that, within a few minutes the “little chickadees” – Jennifer’s name for her long ago friends – would migrate back to my arms for more snuggling.

“It is almost like as a kid you want to stand in someone else’s light – especially if you look up to them,” her Facebook message read.

The words blurred as the past flowed into the present.

How could I have ever imagined that my ordinary job would hold meaning for one child – a memory that spans more than three decades?

It makes me realize that what we do today – no matter what our everyday role – can brighten another’s heart for a lifetime.

If you have a story idea for Light Notes, email lluginbill@tricityherald.com. Follow Lucy on Twitter @LucyLuginbill

This story was originally published November 16, 2014 at 6:45 AM with the headline "A small act of kindness can last a lifetime."