Losing things in the snow

Many years ago I went for a walk around Long Pond. When I was almost back to my car, after a 45 minute walk, I realized I had lost one of the traction cleats for one of my boots. My heart sunk. I didn't have time to back track around the length of the pond again and it was snowing. As I went to my car, there was a note stuck under my windshield wiper blade. It said, "If you've lost a yaktrax, it's just past the building on the left on the path". My heart leapt! How kind for a stranger to take a moment and find a pen and paper and let me know.

Today I went for a ski in the same area. I had taken off my hat and stuffed it in my pocket. But not well enough, I discovered, as I rounded a corner and was skiing into the wind again. As I made my way back to the previous loop where I had taken it off, there it was, hanging on a tree branch. It reminded me of the small gesture of a stranger many years before and my thought to collect stories such as these to remember the goodness we each have in us.