When My Kids Get Free Stuff

...and on rare special occasions, we're blessed with small but meaningful kindness...

we went to mandi restaurant the other day. kahfi had been pressing us for a drink of orange fizzy drink. it was a straight 'no' from us, until kahfi took matters into his own hands. on the way out of the restaurant, kahfi opened a fridge, and took an orange fizzy can drink on his own. when we asked to put it back, he cried. ok, fine. take one. paying time - "nevermind. take, take." and kahfi got to enjoy his coveted orange fizzy drink, free of charge.

alhamdulillah. may Allah bestow the restaurant owner plenty more rezeki and blessings for that little can of drink!

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we were at a shop selling nuts - almond, cashew, pistachio - i love that shop. they also sell chocs and candies. i let khaleef and kahfi take a roll of fruity mentos each, and by the time we pay for our packets of nuts, the owner exclude the mentos. with simply a head gesture geleng-geleng and a swoosh of his hand 'take, take' - i had to ask him twice, really? thank you!

alhamdulillah. may Allah triple his rezeki for this simple kind act!

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in a world where restaurant owners want nothing better than to raise their prices, and shopkeepers count every penny, i'm grateful for these few kind souls who don't mind a simple deed without concentrating on just the material of things.

it was really nothing much - just a can of fizzy drink, and a few rolls of mentos. but it's the thought behind it that counts. it's the kind gesture that matters. the magnitude of the kindness that we experienced is this - "i'm losing a few dirham to see a kid smile, and their parents delighted. and that's ok."