Sangha of Auspicious Companions

When a Simple Act of Kindness Got Complicated

When Nate Walls’ barbecue catering company collapsed with the pandemic, he took what remained in his bank account and started knocking on doors, delivering free meals to anyone who needed it in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In one trailer park, a man opened the door aggressively and refused the food with a racist slur. Nate could have walked away and never returned, “but there are 59 other people in that trailer park that need to eat.” So he kept knocking and kept offering a plate. One day, the man accepted a plate without words. Gradually, hostility from this man softened into conversation about sports, bills, family, and the ways life had been hard for both of them. After awhile, he genuinely apologized to Nate for his earlier offensive behavior. “Well, I made it a point to keep returning to that trailer park,” described Nate. Sometimes, transformation happens one meal and one returned knock at a time.

Be The Change

The next time someone responds to your kindness with hostility or indifference, choose to show up again anyway — not to prove a point, but because your compassion isn’t conditional on their response.