Kindness costs nothing, but its impact can mean everything…read more
I don't think Nick realizes just how much of a difference he made in my life that day, but I hope he reads this and knows that his kindness will stay with me for a very long time.
I needed to get my emissions test done so I could renew my car registration and safely drive to my son's birthday party. With it being Sunday, my options were limited. I accidentally hit the call button for Nick's In & Out Emissions and immediately hung up. Nick called me right back to make sure everything was okay and confirm that they were, in fact, open.
During that first conversation, he asked the right questions about my situation, immediately put me at ease about my VERY expired registration, and even made me laugh! I knew right then that this was the kind of person I wanted to do business with.
What Nick didn't know was that I was having one of the darkest weeks of my life. I had experienced three unimaginable losses in a single week, and the hate my fiancé and I had been subjected to had made an already painful time even harder. On the drive to his shop, I cried the entire way. I needed to let it out before arriving at the birthday party and putting on a happy face.
When I arrived, I was helped quickly and went to sit in the waiting room. There, on a glass display case, was a sticker that read, "Do one kind thing a day."
I'm sure the employee was a little startled when he returned to find me sitting there in an absolute blubbering mess! I paid for my service and told him that Nick's kindness had completely changed my day. I had brought cupcakes for the birthday party and offered him one, asking if I could leave one for Nick as a small thank-you. He politely declined because they were for the party, but suggested I call Nick instead because he loves hearing from his customers.
So I did.
Nick sounded genuinely happy to hear from me, and we talked all the way to the party. I hadn't intended to unload my troubles on a complete stranger, but sometimes, when someone shows you a little kindness in the middle of a storm, the words just come pouring out. I kept apologizing for oversharing, but he made me feel comfortable enough to simply be human.
Nick had absolutely no obligation to go above and beyond for me. He didn't know my story. He didn't know my heart was breaking. He didn't know how badly I needed someone to show me a little goodness that day. He simply chose to be kind.
The past week had been filled with loss, hate, greed, and pain. And then, in the middle of all that darkness, a stranger chose to be a light in my little corner of the world.
I went to Nick's In & Out Emissions because I needed an emissions test. I left with something far more valuable than that: a reminder that good people still exist, that compassion still matters, and that we never truly know what someone else is carrying.
Nick, if you ever read this, thank you. You may have just been doing your job, but to me, you did so much more. You made a difficult day a little lighter, made me laugh when I desperately needed it, and reminded me that kindness still exists in this world.
If you're looking for a place to get your emissions test done, please consider Nick's In & Out Emissions. You'll get your business taken care of by someone who understands that customers are people, not just transactions.
And Nick, I hope this review gives you even a fraction of the happiness you gave me that day.
Kindness costs nothing. But sometimes, it means everything.