Stories of lovely ladies

I hope you are all doing well.

In early December, temperatures dropped to -20°C. It had been a while since it was that cold.

In the midst of such cold, I had a heartwarming experience at a gas station (in Sweden, you pump your own gas).

It was a very small thing, but...

In front of the payment machine, a madam in a beautiful suit was leaning over, peering into the card slot of the machine. I thought there might be an issue with her card or the machine, so I waited my turn a little distance away.

Suddenly, the madam turned to me and, laughing, asked, "You! Can you get this out? My nails won't let me!"

The card, indeed, was peeking out of the slot just enough that you'd need to pinch it with your fingertips to pull it out. Her nails were long, beautifully manicured, and shiny. She had been struggling to pull out the card with her long nails.

I said, "Coming right up!" and firmly pinched out the card, handing it to her.

Her bright smile, her tone of voice, and the way she thanked me were all so lovely that I found myself beaming. The madam waved goodbye with a wonderful smile and drove off in a beautiful white car.

People help and are helped.

As I refueled, I vaguely pondered the difference between saying "I'm sorry" and "Thank you" with a good smile when someone has been kind to you.

There are times when we can't always be smiling.

It's not easy to instantly conjure a striking smile that makes people happy.

With a kind heart, don't forget to smile, and don't forget to be grateful.

Easier said than done...

For now, I'll just try to keep it in mind...

Well then, everyone.

Thank you very much for visiting and making purchases at Antique Tanaka Online this year.

I am deeply grateful.

May you all have a wonderful New Year filled with smiles!

Antique Tanaka 🐦