I am just days from graduation, and in my mind are the worries of a lifetime.

What will my future be like? Where will I live and what will I do?

Stress is my lifestyle now, and the little things are starting to creep in. The traffic light changes to red as I reach it. I get to class and realize I don’t have my assignment. A customer yells at me for some unknown reason at the store where I work.

All I crave is 15 seconds of kindness. I don’t expect a solution to any of the mounting problems in my life. I just want one touch of humanity, especially on those rainy days Athens seems to have every week now.

Luckily, I’ve found it.

It comes every afternoon when I leave my parking space in the North Deck and I encounter the sweetest lady working at UGA.

I don’t even know her name. I think I’ve known her too long to worry about that now.

Her smile is all I need to know. She smiles at me from the cashier booth at the Thomas Street exit, and tells me to “have a great day, Sugar.”

She means it. It is not that false friendliness I use with customers or when I casually say goodbye to classmates.

When she tells me to have a nice day, I get the distinct impression she really hopes, with all her heart that I do, even if it has no effect on her.

She doesn’t know what kind of a student or even what kind of person I am, but she feels like she knows me.

She compliments me on a little something every day: what I’m wearing or something I wrote in the day’s paper.

She has a greater bearing on my day than she can imagine.

My daily 15 seconds with her have convinced me of the power found in just the smallest touch of human kindness.

And last week, while feeling thankful for all those who have helped me make it through these last four years, I couldn’t help but think of her, who helps me get by on the normal days.

Of all the things I’ve learned here, I’m most thankful I’ve learned just how far that 15 seconds of kindness can go.

- Stephanie Jackson is a senior from Birmingham, Ala., majoring in newspapers and English.