“ Well, Deary, you see, since someone brought the cans, and you brought them to me, I bring you this apple. It’ s called giving back.” Mr. Stein smiled and turned to my mother.“ Thank you so much.” and with that my mom escorted me and Noah out the door.
As we padded down the hall, I thought back on the apartment. Then I realized something. It was grimy and disgusting, yes, but it had the air of the Taj Mahal.“ Why was the apartment so special, if it was ewwie and gross?” I pondered out loud. My mother answered,“ Things don’ t make a place special. It’ s the people around the area that do.”
In that apartment, I developed a new mindset. This mindset is that giving back is a forever ending cycle, because there is always someone who has the ability to make someone’ s day brighter. When that man handed me the apple, I discovered that each and every person holds a key. A key to happiness. And each person has the ability to unlock the door, but we have to choose to do so. Also, we can’ t unlock a door for ourselves, but when happiness fills someone up, you just can’ t help but be happy, too. I learned that day that the things that truly make life worth living are the creatures around you: friends, family, pets, and even strangers. I also learned that your legacy is made up of the kindness or cruelty you showed. At your funeral, people aren’ t going to say,“ So and so was special because they wore jeans,” or“... because they got good grades.” People are going to say,“ so and so was special because they were so nice and friendly.” I now know that by doing a little act of kindness that you don’ t even think about or deem unimportant, can really make someone’ s day special, because you’ re letting them know that there is someone in this topsy-turvy world who cares about them.