My Happiness Project Day 2

Today's source of happiness is the happy combination of forgiveness and kindness.

Yesterday I was involved in an everyday but no less shocking incident which left me racked with guilt.  I was tussling with various garments in a clothes shop changing room when I heard a knock on my changing room door.  I opened to see a wee curly-mopped blonde French girl.  We ascertained that I was not her maman and so I closed the door - only to find that her finger was in the hinge which I didn't see.  To cut a long story short, the poor poppet screamed whilst blood spouted everywhere, I found the tip of her finger and insisted on ice and an ambulance being called, her parents and aunt were in shock (as were the shop assistants) and I desperately tried to hold it together until, 1 hour later, they were collectively scooped up and taken to Tommy's hospital with my card pressed into their hands.  Then the shock hit but also the immense guilt of what I'd caused and the sympathy I received from the shop staff - which was utterly undeserved as I was the guilty party.

A night ensued full of dreams of floating finger tips.

The most incredible thing however were the lovely emails I received from Sophie's aunty and mother.  Aunty kindly emailed to let me know that Sophie's operation had gone well and they'd returned to Pairs.  Second email was from maman to say that it was utterly not my fault and they were unhappy to think that I was so very worried.  By rights they should have been utterly furious with me but they chose to forgive me.

Kindness - the shop which had unwittingly hosted this wee blood-soaked drama, called me today to check that I was feeling alright and that they had spoken to the family who wanted to relay again that it was just a freakish accident.

No-one - not the aunty, mother or shop manager, had to contact me and yet they all did.  How utterly kind and forgiving.  Definitely today a source of real happiness and comfort.  And a great reminder of my father's only rule for life which I try to live by - to treat others as you would have them treat you.

Which categorically does not involve slamming doors on wee digits.