Lately, I've been so amazed by the power that people have when they're kind. Among all the bad things happening, there are still people who remain good, and who show others compassion and respect. Being kind has been very important to me lately, so I asked five different people the same question,
"What is one of the kindest or most inspiring things you've ever witnessed or done?" I got many ranges of answers, from things that they had seen, things that happened to them, and things they had done.
Ashlyn Decarlo shared a personal story about a friend who showed her kindness after she lost a family member.
"Losing a family member is never easy, and each time it brings different feelings and new challenges to face head on. In late January, my grandpa passed away from stomach cancer that had spread throughout his body. This was not the first time my family had lost a family member to cancer, so we were more prepared, but there is not truly a way to be prepared for something with no guidelines or rules. God did not ever leave my family, and he showed unconditional love toward us. He specifically gave us a wonderful community to take care of us. A couple of days after he passed away, my neighbor who is a very close friend of mine, texted me asking if I was home. I replied saying I was, but in all honesty I did not want company. A little later, the doorbell rang and I opened the door to see him holding a cake with chocolate frosting and a heart made out of mint candies. I looked at him and he said, "Here's a cake!" It was so simple, yet so effective, just to show us he cared about us. He wanted to take some of our heartache and replace it with a heart made out of candy. Those unexpected gestures in more difficult times can be the greatest reminder of how selfless and kindhearted people can be."
Morgan Potts talked about a time when a stranger's help saved the life of their dog.
"I was at the lake with my mom, my dad, my sister, and my dog Gabby. We went to a little strip of sand that no one else was at so we could let Gabby run around without worrying that she would get hurt. However, she saw a duck in the lake and started bolting toward it. My dad started running after her, but we had no idea what to do, and there was a houseboat driving toward her. Fortunately, someone saw us struggling to get her back, and they helped us get Gabby back in time. Without that stranger, Gabby probably wouldn't still be alive."
Megan Erasmus shared a story about the kindness of some of her friends.
"One of the nicest things that anybody has ever done for me was a surprise party that my friends threw for me. I was coming home from a long trip that I had been on all summer and I had planned to go over to a friend's house. When I got there, three of my other friends jumped out from behind the couch to surprise me. I was so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for having such amazing people in my life."
Megan Reidenger shared how one girl led to her meeting many of her best friends.
"One time someone showed a crazy amount of kindness to me was when Morgan Potts came up to talk to me when I was sitting alone. I had just moved, and it was my first day at the new school. Our friendship grew so much, and thanks to her, I've met so many other wonderful people. She's always been kind to me and stuck by me whenever I needed her."
Susie Mishkin recounted when her mom's gratitude inspired her to be generous to others.
"I was with my mom at the beach when I was younger, and we were walking along the boardwalk when we found a $20 bill. Me being eight years old, I wanted to keep it, but my mom insisted that we couldn't take somebody else's money. She returned the money to a lifeguard watching over the boardwalk. The lifeguard said that no one had asked about it, so he ended up letting us keep it. Although we kept it, it was so inspiring to see my mom so determined to return the money to the owner. From then on, I've always been aware of returning lost things to their owner, since you never know what you could be taking away from someone else."
I've had many times in my life where I've been surprised by the kindness of complete strangers, but one of my favorites happened a few years ago when I was riding Marta. It wasn't that big of a deal, but it's something I'll never forget. As we were riding, the train jolted, and a girl standing up started falling backward. Another girl, a stranger, caught her, and made sure to steady her before she stood back up again. So many people would have let her fall, but that stranger's first instinct was to catch her, and it's a story that still inspires me to this day.
People are capable of so much, and it is endlessly inspiring when we put our energy into helping and being considerate to those we know and those we don't.
