The Ledger

By Becky Holland

I got a shot Thursday.

Now, before anybody gets excited, climbs on a soapbox or starts composing a lengthy response on Facebook, let me finish my story.

I went to the Bleckley County Health Department for my COVID vaccine. Yes, I got vaccinated. And yes, I had my reasons.

My 91-year-old Momma lives in a nursing home. Over time, the people who live there have become part of my world, too. I know their faces, enjoy their company and care about their well-being.

Getting vaccinated was a decision I made with Momma and that circle of people in mind. I wanted to do what I could to help protect them.

But this isn’t really a column about vaccines.

It’s about a young woman named Ashley, a cartoon cowgirl and something I think our world could use a little more of these days.

Kindness.

Ashley, who works at the Bleckley County Health Department, made my visit comfortable from the beginning.

When it came time for the shot, she offered me a pink Band-Aid. Then she mentioned she had Toy Story Band-Aids featuring Jessie the cowgirl.

Well, naturally, I chose Jessie.

What Ashley didn’t know was that Momma has a Jessie Squishmallow on her bed. Of all the characters she could have offered, she happened to mention one that already had a special place in my heart.

I didn’t tell Ashley about the connection. She was simply doing her job, making an ordinary experience a little more pleasant.

And she must be pretty good with a needle, because I didn’t even feel the shot! It wasn’t until later that day, when my arm started getting sore, that I remembered I’d had one.

The needle didn’t make much of an impression, but Ashley’s kindness certainly did.

I’ve thought about that little encounter and how different it was from some of the conversations we have these days.

Mention a vaccine, and somebody has an opinion. Mention politics, and somebody is ready for an argument. It seems we can hardly make a personal decision without someone else deciding whether they approve.

Somewhere along the way, we’ve become awfully quick to judge and a little too slow to listen.

Now, I’m not suggesting we have to agree on everything. Goodness knows, that would be a boring world. And there’s nothing wrong with asking questions, discussing facts or having strong convictions.

But there’s a difference between disagreeing with someone and disrespecting them.

We don’t always know the reasons behind another person’s choices. We don’t know every worry they carry, every responsibility they shoulder or every experience that has shaped their thinking.

And frankly, we don’t have to know all those things to treat them decently.

We can hold different opinions about health, politics and just about everything else without forgetting that we’re neighbors, friends and fellow human beings.

Ashley probably didn’t give that Jessie Band-Aid a second thought.

But I did.

It reminded me of Momma. It made me smile. And it reminded me how much difference a little kindness can make in someone’s day.

So perhaps the next time we’re tempted to judge somebody over a decision we don’t understand, we could remember that there’s usually more to the story than what we see.

A little patience wouldn’t hurt us. Neither would a little grace.

And if all else fails, maybe we should hand out more Toy Story Band-Aids.

After all, the world could use a few more Jessies and a lot fewer arguments.

Thanks, Ashley, for the photo!