Note to Self: Mascara Optional - Kindness Mandatory

I hadn’t planned to run into anyone that day.

I had just finished mowing for three hours. I was sweaty, flushed, and probably didn’t smell like fresh flowers. You know the kind of afternoon—where your hair’s doing its own thing and the last thing on your mind is running into someone you know.

But I needed to pick something up in town. So I did the “in and out” plan. No makeup. Ball cap. No eye contact. The kind of mission where you silently pray: Please don’t let me see anyone I know.

I weaved through the store doing the dodge—that thing you do when you sense someone in your peripheral vision and subtly turn down the next aisle. I had made it almost to checkout when I heard it:

"Is that Gail?"

I turned. And there she was—this beautiful woman I hadn’t seen in quite some time. Her smile lit up, and her eyes sparkled. She didn’t flinch at my unkempt state or make any snide remark. She walked right up, gave me a hug (sweaty and all), and chatted like I was radiant.

That’s my kind of woman.
The kind who doesn’t care if you’re dolled up or disheveled.
Who doesn’t measure worth by appearance.
Who makes you feel seen, not judged.

What a gift.

Because let’s be honest, we’ve all had those other encounters—the ones that make you spiral afterward. When you run into someone and immediately think, Why didn’t I just put on some mascara? Why didn’t I change shirts? And worse, you wonder what they might say about you once you’ve walked away.

But this woman? She left me smiling. Her kindness reached past the surface and saw the person underneath. There was no pretending, no performance—just real connection in a few short moments.

That kind of genuine presence is rare. And it reminded me of what we all need more of.

Kindness Without Condition

So here’s what I’m holding onto this week:

We don’t always know what someone’s walking through. But we always have the chance to treat them well. 

Be the one who hugs the sweaty friend.
Be the one who smiles first.
Be the kind of person who doesn’t measure others by how they look on a random Saturday afternoon.

To the friend who hugged me in the middle of the store—sweaty, messy hair, and all. You didn’t flinch. You didn’t fake it. Your hug was real. Your kindness was effortless. And your heart was wide open.

Thank you.

That’s the kind of woman I want in my circle... and the kind of woman I want to be.