Chicken Nugget.

There’s nothing that makes my heart flutter more than remembering simple acts of kindness. As a child, all that I was surrounded by was love, though my pockets were empty, my heart was full. Through the smallest details, I realized the impact simple acts can have on someone. If I were ever asked to think of a time when I gave an act of kindness, I’dl choose the time I recall the most, a memory I’ve carried that’s still precious to me today.

When I was around first grade, I attended school in Mexico. Unlike in America, free lunch wasn’t an option. You had to pay for your lunch or bring your own. I can still vividly remember my grandmother taking chicken nuggets out of the freezer and warming them up for me, putting them into a tin metal strawberry shortcake lunch box. Even now I can still remember how the tips of my fingers traced alongside the dents of the lunch box, a memory that is imprinted in my mind. 

Going to school was never easy for me. Spending time in a classroom filled with kids who never spoke to me never failed to make me anxious. I was constantly afraid at the thought of failing to make friends. I would trace the words from the paper laid out in front of me while watching my classmates play soccer outside. I would kill time this way in hopes to find a friend of my own one day. Once the bells rang, I felt my heart tighten, as much as I hated eating lunch alone, I got used to it. I walked outside the classroom with my strawberry shortcake lunch box and went to my usual spot. A spot where I was directly behind my class sitting on the sidewalk.

Then, I see a boy sitting on the sidewalk looking down at the dirt, not knowing what to do. I thought if I should let him be and choose somewhere else to go or to sit by him. I gave in to the thought of sitting with him. I walked towards my spot which he happened to be on and sat by him. For a moment, and only for a moment, we looked at each other in silence. Slowly, our silence breaks, we started to introduce each other and get to know each other, asking questions as I opened my lunch box.

While I look at my lunch and see him stare at me, I put my lunch box filled with chicken nuggets in between us. I took out my straw and pearce it in the juice box, offering him a drink first. Luckily my apple was cut, so I took out my napkin and gave him half of the apple slices I had. After he gave me my juice back I felt how there was still more and offered him to drink it, but he refused and told me we can share the juice. As we ate, we picked up the rocks from the dirt we were stepping on and grated them against the cement, testing how the rocks colored the cement like chalk. 

We drew pictures as he told me how he told me he never brought money for lunch because his parents couldn’t afford it. He explained to me how he didn’t bring lunch to school because they had very limited food. 

Being so young, I never truly understood why he couldn’t afford much or bring any. After that day, I went home and told my mom about the new friend I made. I can still clearly remember hearing her voice say, “Some are fortunate, some more than others. If you are able to give, then give.” 

Ever since then I would ask my grandma to pack me double everything. Every day I met him at the back of my classroom during lunch. Every time I ever shared my lunch with him, I always tried to split everything as well as I could, except my chicken nuggets. I always gave him much more than half. 

Looking back at such a memory makes me realize how as a kid I thought I wasn’t doing so much to help him. Now, I see I’ve possibly impacted him with this small, simple act. I hope he returns the favor. Not to me, but to others. Even now, if I could, I would still give him most of my nuggets.

Acts of kindness are moments that can make someone’s day. One can be as simple as being there for someone, the way I was. These acts may be small but can make a great impact on someone. Acts of kindness can be given and received in many forms.

“I met this person.” Senior Bryan Tecillo said. “We gave each other kindness, we were always there for each other, we just felt secure with one another, so we would give each other small things. One way I returned the favor was by giving her her first date. She gave me a scarf that I still have. I spread the act by giving her flowers.”

Simple acts of kindness can have a ripple effect on someone. Some feel the want to act with kindness because they were given kindness by others or someone specific. 

“When someone gives so much to you, it feels good to give back to them,”  Junior Oscar Rosas said. “That ‘someone’ is my mom. I was having a hard time for a while and you could really tell. My mom saw and came into my room. She began comforting me, providing advice, and trying to understand me, I think back to it a lot.”

In some cases acts of kindness are just moments where you just feel good but in some rare cases it can be an illustration that can be a sweet fun memory. Looking back on a humorous act isn’t only a memory to just look back on but a memory that can make you laugh and smile just by thinking about it. 

“I went to a gas station to buy an energy drink, and my card kept declining,” senior Sarah Smith said. “This man came from behind and was like ”I got it, I got it” and he went to pay for it. His card declined. Then the cashier just let us both go for free with our drinks. I think that was a really cool act of kindness, because it was two people being kind. I think it was humanity at its finest, beyond the mistakes, the bumps, errors and the embarrassment, there we were all together being kind to one another.”

Hearing the experiences and stories of ways people received and gave kindness made me think of the hope the world gives me, whether it’d be a friend, family member or a stranger, these little acts make a difference and a memory to recall. With this world filled with humans, tenderness is everywhere. I’ll gladly give anyone my nuggets.