Memorable Kindness

Thoughts on memorable kindness.

It was twenty years ago. Jimmy and I weren’t married yet. We were looking for a church that we could call home together.  We’d seen a commercial, and decided to find that church. One Friday night, forty-five minutes late, Jimmy and I walked in the door and this particular usher just happened to be the one standing there.

He smiled at us when we walked in really late.

He must have known we were new and found us a seat in the back where we could comfortably disappear.

We did and we liked it.

That place has been home now for twenty years.

Twenty years ago, all it took was a smile to make us feel seen… and someone who knew that particular young couple probably needed to sit in the back.

The next week, he remembered us when we walked in the door again.

He knew we were there. Over and over again for twenty years.

Thank you for being you, Mr. Usher. We do know your name. Thank you for knowing ours.

And thank you for inspiring us to consistently reflect memorable kindness at the door of our lives.

Jenn is the Founder and CEO of Cotton Babies. She holds an Executive MBA from Washington University. She was awarded Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Emerging Category for the Central Midwest Region in 2011. Among many other awards, she recently received a 2017 YWCA Leader of Distinction Award for Entrepreneurship. Jenn holds many patents on various inventions in a number of different countries and is listed as one of 50 Missourians You Should Know. She is particularly fascinated by languages, chickens, and children (she has four) when she’s not reading economics journals. Jenn offers mentorship to product developers at any stage in the journey from idea to shelf.