Let’s fill the space between with love

What acts of kindness have you been seeing?

While our bodies and arms have never felt farther apart, our hearts and minds have never felt closer.

Quarantine. Social distancing. Sheltering in place.

Coronavirus.

Now that we can't be together, we're feeling the need for human kindness stronger than ever.

And it's happening. All around us.

"These feel-good stories should be told," disabled Vietnam veteran Ray Fink said in a phone interview Friday. "The people in Idaho are kind people. We look after our own here and stick together."

Fink, of Santa, drives more than an hour each way to shop at Costco in Coeur d'Alene. He was recently in the store to buy puppy training pads when the clerk told him he could only buy one box, not two.

One of the young ladies behind him in line said, "I'll take that."

"One of the other gals leaned over and says, 'Wait outside for us,'" Fink said. "These gals came out and threw that box of doggie pads in my basket. I had my veteran's hat and they said, 'Thank you for your service. We won’t take your money.' I tried to hand it to them; they wouldn't take it.

"These gals need to be recognized," he said. "They wouldn't give me their names or anything."

In an upside-down world where the spaces between are weighing heavily on hearts, people everywhere are committing to spreading kindness while also working to stop the spread of coronavirus.

A woman in southern Idaho, who requested to remain nameless, was recently standing in line at a grocery store, 6 feet behind a mom with two young children and 6 feet ahead of the next customer.

There she stood, behind the blue tape on the floor telling her not to go any closer until the customer ahead was done.

"I was waiting and all of a sudden I could feel the energy change," the kind shopper said. "I tracked my eyes up to her and the clerk and I could see she was struggling with her EBT card. My heart sunk. I got a lump in my throat just seeing someone struggle, and being 6 feet away from them was hard for me."

The young mom began pulling groceries from her order, fighting tears and embarrassment. The kind shopper behind her made eye contact with the checker to say, "I'll cover her."

"This woman I couldn’t comfort; she was having a panic attack. There was no one who could comfort her," the kind shopper said. "It was strange to have to communicate that 6 feet away. Typically I’d be right next to this woman, putting my hand on her back, letting her know it's OK."

To add to the stress, in order for the kind shopper to pay for the groceries, the mom and children had to step 6 feet out of the way while this complete stranger stepped in to make the transaction. People behind them huffed with impatience.

"As she went on her way, I turned to the person behind me. I felt some gritty energy in a different way," the kind shopper said. "I said, 'Hey, are you doing OK?'"

The kind shopper received a gruff response.

"I said, 'I know it's hard to find patience in times like this,' and he rolled his eyes at me," the kind shopper said.

The kind shopper was "knocked off her rocker" by this whole experience — the inability to discreetly help someone in need, the inability to offer a kind touch, the stress that overcomes the ability to find patience with others.

The kind shopper shared that, anonymously, the mom responded to the random act of kindness with a post on social media.

"I was having a panic attack and couldn't breathe and felt very overwhelmed," the young mom wrote. "I barely got a thank you out as I was so embarrassed I just wanted out of the store. I want you to know how much me and my children appreciate your kindness! I want to thank you for helping us, your kindness was beyond a blessing.”

It doesn't have to stop in the grocery store.

Around the country, people are putting teddy bears in their windows so families with children can go on their own "bear hunts" in their neighborhoods to do something fun while getting fresh air.

People are bringing groceries to their elderly neighbors' doorsteps so they don't have to go out into the pandemic.

Kids are scrawling messages of peace and love on their sidewalks to give passersby a reason to smile.

Those who order takeout can choose to leave generous tips for those working in the restaurant industry.

With so many creative ways to be kind, there's no reason we can't fill that space between us with a little more love.