Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Many years ago at Christmas time I parked my car in the town centre on my way to the post office to post my Christmas cards. It was the last posting day for Christmas cards if they were to be received before Christmas. As I came out of the car park I saw a young boy probably about 12 years of age on the other side of the road.  He was alone and as he was walking he was sobbing and holding his right hand side. I thought some bigger boys had perhaps bullied him and he was in pain. I had to go to his aid and see if I could help with his distress.

He told me that his big sister who was a nurse had bought him a combined birthday/Christmas present. It was a mobile phone, I would say it was his first mobile phone. He had been allowed to use it and only had it days when he dropped it and cracked the screen!  That's why he was clutching his upper right hand side of his body, his mobile phone was in the upper right hand pocket of his coat. The little guy was devastated, tears rolling down his face as he relayed all this to me. My heart ached for him. It was clear he valued his present and knew that this was a lot of money for his sister to spend on him. He'd been to a phone shop and they'd told him it would be £80 to get a new screen.

I had to help. The thing was though that it was very close to Christmas and I was broke and waiting on my next pay cheque. I had some dealings with guys in the mobile phone repair shop so I took him there,  I knew the guys would have helped me out and my intention was to get the screen on the phone fixed and I would pay  for it the following week. I knew they would trust me on this. I brought him with me, the shop was closed! I had one of the guys mobile numbers but I couldn't get in contact with him. What next? What could I now do?

I brought him to an ATM machine. I withdrew all the money there was in the account, a measly £20. I was disappointed that I did not have more money to help this little guy.

I knew he was young enough to get told off by his parents for engaging with a stranger and going to different places with me. I knew he would probably get into even more bother for taking money off a stranger. I took him to the side and told him that while it is important to be cautious of strangers there are many in the world who are full of goodness and kindness and will offer any help they have when it is needed. I told him it's important to know that strangers can be trusted and to be guided by his intuition.

 I gave him my measly £20 and made some excuse as to why I could only give him so little, I didn't want him to know it was all I had until pay day. I told him that when he grows up, I hope he remembers the day a stranger helped him and that he too would be someone who would do this for others. I could not fully pay for his phone to be repaired but I hope the love and kindness he received from a stranger was something that stayed with him when he became a man.

The Christmas cards not getting posted somehow didn't seem important, greater issues had been addressed with a kindness stamp.