Random act of Christmas kindness.

I was trying to feed Mateo last night when I heard a slight knocking on our door.

"Was that the door?" I asked.

My husband looked at me.

"No? I don't think so."

There was no way I was going to open the door because I was in my weekend slob attire.

My husband went to the door and looked out the peephole that is currently covered by our Merry Christmas door ornament.

"You can't see through it right now," I reminded him.

He opened the door and peeked his head out. Then he peeked out even more and looked left and right. Then he brought in a big gift bag.

We both looked at each other. Since I had given up on Mateo eating and had released him from his high chair, he was over by the couch and didn't see the bag.

"Who left that?" I asked.

"I don't know?" my husband replied. He reached in and took out a nicely decorated box and a card. He opened the card and read, "To our neighbors...Merry Christmas from blah and blah Unit blahblahblah."

"That's across from us," I said.

By then Mateo came back and was all up in the presents because he thinks everything is for him. I pulled out the gift from the bag, which was a dish packed full of chocolates.

"Open that one," I said.

My husband opened the box, which was full of cars. And not just any cars, but Cars (the movie) cars and a Mustang. Mateo grabbed each car as we took them out of the packaging and ran off. These are his first official "big boy" cars.



My husband kept saying he couldn't believe it.

The last time something like this happened to us, it was a pity thing when we lived in San Jose while I was going to college. People who lived directly above us delivered to us a box full of food, including a frozen turkey. While we weren't rich by any means, we certainly weren't poor, so that act of kindness left a really bad taste in our mouths. We both felt there were more deserving people out there who could use the food.

But this? This was just thoughtful and kind. We hardly talk to the people across from us, but whenever we do, it's merely niceties and whatnot. The lady thinks Mateo is a cutie, and Mateo acts all shy and silly whenever he sees her. They've only been living there for about 9 months or so.

My husband and I are a tad on the gruff side when we think about people in general because, come on, the world isn't the nicest place these days. So this random act of Christmas kindness really made us both stop and think about how maybe the world isn't so bad and maybe there are still nice people out there, and maybe two of them just happen to live across from us. And maybe the world just isn't so bad after all.