But the closer I came to the drawings, the more entranced I was by them. There were words with the illustrations. "Put the 'I' in kindness," "Say hello to your neighbor." "One kind word makes all the difference." The neighborhood paths were filled with these sayings, each batch headlined "The Kindness Trail."
The installations were signed "By Hailey and Maddie." Was this a project for school? Was there a hidden camera gauging the reaction of each passerby? There were cups of chalk along the way, too. Were we supposed to chime in with our own cheerful responses? I thought about it, but decided to show my gratitude another way.
So Hailey and Maddie ... if you're out there now, I want you to know that the Kindness Trail put a smile on my face and a spring in my step. It made my day.