Stories of Kindness from Around the World

The car went through the stop sign and into the intersection. With no where to go or time to get there, my taxi hit the car dead on. For the next three months I was out of work. I had no savings to speak of. No family to help me. I was in dire straights to be sure.  The lady who ran the stop sign had little insurance, barely enough to cover the medical expenses with little left over to pay my living expenses.

Just after the accident Justin came to see me in the hospital. We had been co-drivers with the taxi company. We knew each other and worked well together. We were not what one might consider to be friends but we liked each other. He asked me what was going to happen and I told him I didn't know. I was in deep trouble financially until a settlement could be reached. Homelessness was a possibility.

Justin reached into his wallet and took out $200 and handed it to me. For the next three months every Thursday he would come and give me $200. He worked  extra shifts, never asked when or if he would get the money back. His generosity was boundless and selfless. I was and shall be forever overwhelmed by his act of loving kindness and compassion.

When the settlement finally came, I took Justin to the lawyers office and he was given a check for twice the amount he had so generously given me. Then the lawyer asked him to wait outside while we concluded our business. The lawyer told me all of the debts had been paid but there was nothing left for me and asked why I had given Justin so much money. When I told him he asked me to wait outside. Then he called me back in and handed me a check for $5000 to help me get re-established. The lawyer and the doctor had reduced their fees.

The story does not end there. Because of Justin's act of kindness, I have done my best to be the same kind of friend to others. The greatest lesson he taught me was that to be truly generous one must be grateful for the blessings bestowed upon them.