I was sitting at a stoplight yesterday in the left turn lane. While the light was still a confident RED, the car at the front of the lane to my right started backing up… with pace. I had no idea why. No pedestrians or penguins crossing; no police clearing space. The driver just mysteriously threw it in reverse. And ten feet later backed into the Volkswagen bug behind it.

The woman in the bug was directly across from me, both our windows down. I could hear her commentary, despite the cigarette between her weathered lips.

“What are you doing? Are you serious? Stop!”

Crunch.

A small, elderly, woman got out of the offending car. She was startled and shaking. She muttered, “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry.”

But that’s all she said. The cigarette-smoking bug driver had promptly leaped from her car to evaluate the damage. I thought I might have to intervene. But I didn’t.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Cigarette-smoking-bug-driver assured. Pointing to her bumper, “That was already there. You’re okay. It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” She put her hand on the anxious, elderly woman’s shoulder, smiled, took another puff of the cigarette, and got back in her car. That was the end of the incident.

No cursing. No accusing. No police or insurance exchange. No suggestion to cut up the drivers license and take the Leisure World bus. Just a kind, forgiving gesture of peace.

I cried a little.

It was a moment of grace—undeserved kindness and compassion. It was beautiful.

Maybe bumpers aren’t really that important, anyway. Maybe compassion and grace win the day—bringing calm where there was chaos; peace where there was worry.

Let’s put a hand on a shoulder today and bring peace.