My kids are always surprising and inspiring me, even at the simplest of comments and in the most unexpected situations, such as a trip to the dump to get rid of our yard waste. With that in mind, I wasn’t sure how to best tell the story of how that trip could bring inspiration, so…

On Saturday morning, my kids and myself,
Jumped in the van, and we drove into Guelph.
We had errands to run which doesn’t sound grand,
But good things can happen, that aren’t in the plan.

Our goal was quite simple – a trip into the dump,
To drop off some leaves and an old cedar stump.
When we got to the window, I said to the man:
“I’ve got loads of branches, and some leaves in a can.”

“Five bucks” he said plainly; I handed him cash,
But then he “wait!”, before I could pass.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I did not understand,
I didn’t see all of the things in your van.”

He said I’d owe more for the things I had brought,
It would be twice as much, as initially thought.
“I’ll gladly pay more, how much do I owe?”
But “don’t worry,” he said, “you can still go.”

His generous act, though small it may seem,
Had made my day better, and at just 8:15!
Not just for five bucks, but for reasons more grand,
His actions, you see, kick-started a plan.

From the back of the van, my youngest chimed in,
“Dad, this is great! Now the fun can begin!”
I wasn’t quite sure what could possibly start,
But the words that came next, came straight from her heart.

“The event that just happened, has started a chain,
My friends and I call it The Great Kindness Train.
It starts with one act, that leads into more,
Where everyone wins, but there’s no keeping score.”

“This small act of kindness you hold in your heart,
Is precisely the way that the train gets its start.
But now it’s your job to keep the train going,
By doing the same, so the train can keep growing.”

“As you spend the day moving and riding the tracks,
You’ll carefully look for some wonderful acts.
Each one you conduct will bring more people on,
The goal is to make it incredibly long.”

“The simplest of actions, like holding a door,
Gives chances for others to follow onboard.
You could also go big, you could do a whole bunch,
In line at the drive-thru, you could buy someone’s lunch!”

“But the point isn’t grandeur, it’s smaller than that,
The point is for others to see how you act,
Not wanting a single thing back in return.
It’s a valuable lesson, a new chance to learn.”

“It doesn’t take much to get this thing moving,
And by working together it will just keep improving,
So, it’s up to you, Dad, you now have a ticket,
To jump on the train, and I I hope you don’t miss it.”