Be kind.

Some time ago I received an email from a customer who had purchased a pair of my personalised lovebirds. They had used them for their wedding cake topper, but in the too-ing and fro-ing after the wedding day, the boy bird had gone missing. The customer asked, could she please buy a replacement?
I told her, no, you cannot buy a replacement.
I will make you one, and you will not have to pay for it, and all will be right in the world. She was very grateful for this offer, and I was very happy that she was happy.

The thing about my pairs of lovebirds is that they are handmade, and so they only ever match up when made at the same time in pairs. I knew this when I was conversing with her, but I did not tell her because it just makes conversations complicated and people feel funny about accepting more than they have asked for. But I knew I would be making her a new pair, not just one replacement. And also, I have changed the shape of the birds a bit since I first started making them and I wanted her to have a pair in the new shape.
So I went ahead and made them, and sent them to her, with an explanatory note.
And in my mind, I am happy, knowing that she will be happy. I have done this for all my customers who have lost or damaged one of their birds. Some of them expect this level of service and do not bat an eyelid. Others do not, and are surprised and very grateful

Today I received a card in the post.

On the front it said 'Thank You!'.

Inside was written:

"Dear Diana,

Your parcel arrived this morning. M...... had already left for work but my parents-in-law had been a big fan of your birds at the wedding and as they're over in (city) for a few days, I got them to open it.
They squealed with delight when they found the birds (they had been as upset as we were when one had gone missing), and they were completely floored when I told them you'd remade them and sent them to us for free. "So she's a good friend of yours?" they asked. I told them then we'd never met, or even spoken on the phone, and they were astounded at your generosity. As was I.
So thank you, Diana, for making two new matching birds for us, and thank you for restoring my parents-in-law's faith in humanity!
A big smile,

M.....x

I honestly believe that if you can do just one little kind thing for someone, the effect that it can have is far greater than the action itself.