This is a message from one of our in-loves (in-laws) sisters:
“About two weeks ago I am at work and this woman came up to me and asked if “Mr. Smith” was my father. I said yes and her eyes became watery. She said many years ago a stranger approached her new baby at the grocery store. ‘He said I had a lovely family and wanted to send the baby a gift. I was a struggling, single mom and I was not in a position to refuse any assistance. I gave him my address and a week later a huge box arrived at the house with new bottles, blankets, and baby clothes from zero to six months.’ She said, ‘To this day I am still very grateful for him.’ I gave her a hug and said we can all learn by that example. This is the most current incident, but random conversations with strangers about something amazing my dad did to help them out are quite common. He makes me feel so proud and I love him very much.”
This is about an African American man living in the 60’s and 70’s. A man who lived in the south growing up and when he swam in a “white” man’s pool, they emptied it and filled it with concrete the following day. A man not full of anger, but full of love for mankind. What a wonderful and amazing example, indeed. There is not a large enough emoji heart to respond to this heartwarming tale – because it did not happen once, it happened often.
And their mother was just as amazing. A schoolteacher who took extra time and effort with her students, and when she found out a teenager was being abused in a foster home, she let her live with them – for three years – so she could finish high school. There were exchange students as well that were not being treated well who spent time with them. Going the extra mile.
These are reminders that despite our faults or fears – because neither of them are perfect and both lived in a world that could have engendered great fear – we can do great things through simple acts of kindness or selfless inclusion of others into our families. Things that carry on in people’s hearts through their lifetimes. What a world we would live in if we all loved strangers and loved ones alike with this kind of caring.
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