A touch of human kindness

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON

“In the faces of men and women I see God.”

-- WALT WHITMAN

Recently, I was cleaning out a drawer and found an envelope with

some old notes in it, along with a faded and well-worn $5 bill. It

wasn’t just any old $5 bill; it was a very colorful one.

Seeing that bill made me think of a special lady and many

conversations we had over many years. Her name is Jan, and though I

know she has moved away, I still expect to see her whenever I go to

the bank.

The reason why this particular money reminded me of Jan is that it

was the topic of conversation one of the first times I met Jan when

she was a teller at my bank.

I had cashed a check, and she was counting out the money when she

stopped and laughed.

“Do you suppose someone really had nothing better to do with his

time than to color?” she said. “You don’t want this, Cindy. I’ll give

you a different bill.”

I was confused until I looked at the $5 bill she referred to and

saw that someone had indeed been busy with crayons. Abraham Lincoln’s

hair and beard were colored red, his collar yellow, and his coat was

blue.

I suggested that maybe it wasn’t an adult who colored it, but a

child who was trying to keep busy with his parents at a restaurant.

For some reason, I kept the colored bill.

I recall there was nobody else in line at the bank that day, and

Jan and I struck up a conversation about our families.

Over the years, I often visited with Jan and always appreciated

her positive attitude, warmth and friendliness.

I learned that she and her husband had been married almost 50

years and loved traveling to see their children and grandchildren.

They also enjoyed doing errands together.

Jan often asked about my children and family and was always a

delight to see and visit with.

Once I told her about a wonderful young boy who had been in a

terrible accident, and she said she’d pray for him. She always asked

about him whenever I saw her at the bank.

Jan had a unique way of making everyone feel special. She seemed

to remember everybody’s name and something about that person.

Some time ago when I went to the bank, I learned that Jan had

retired and that she and her husband had moved out of the area.

Another teller told me many customers had asked about her and that

everyone missed her. I’m happy to say that I’ve enjoyed talking with

many of the other tellers too.

I know many people who haven’t stepped inside of a bank building

for years because they prefer the convenience of ATMs. Granted, ATMs

are very convenient, but I still prefer the camaraderie of human

contact.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

[email protected] or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive,

Box 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.