Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Remembering Kindness 41 Years Later


--by wooka85257, posted Aug 17, 2011

I was twenty-four years old and three months pregnant when my husband died.  

I was a widow and an expectant mother in the same day.

We had bought a new home and I had filled our two bedroom apartment with nursery items in anticipation of moving in. Now the house would be taken away. I knew I would have to go back to my parents' home, at least until I delivered the baby. And the shock of my husband's sudden death had made losing the baby a very real possibility.

I moved back into my old bedroom.  My twin bed, a crib and a dresser was all that could fit in the 8 x 10 foot bedroom. The rest of our furniture had to go into storage.

I was able to pay for three months worth of storage and then I would have to sell all the new furniture we had bought for our new home because I wouldn't be able to pay any more storage fees.

I had been told I couldn't grieve my husband's death because the baby was so at risk of delivering early, so I focused on keeping calm. Of course, that wasn't easy - and it only got more difficult! Because I tend not to be a person who shares my troubles much, I had told no one but my sister. She was poorer than me and could only provide moral support. My parents were just making ends meet with another mouth to feed.

Then one day in early January 1971 I received a cashier's check for $500. I had no idea who it was from and no amount of calling the financial institution who issued it gave me any clues. I was saved! We had enough money to pay for the storage rental for nearly another year!

I was so happy I smiled all day - something I hadn't done in months!

Then, on the same day, my husband's boss came to the house saying he wanted to see how I was doing. I told him about the check and he was thrilled for me. I knew I had nothing coming from the company my husband had worked for because he had been there only 6 months.  In order to get insurance payments or death benefits you had to be with the company for a year.

The man sat down and pulled out three envelopes. The first was what we were due of my husband's salary for his last month. The second was a bonus check he had earned for the month before (which was originally due to be issued at the end of the year.) And the third was for $10,000, which was his death benefits with the company!

I was incredulous! How could this be? His boss explained the first two checks were due us for services rendered, and he said he used his twenty-eight years with the company to make sure they did the right thing by us.

To this day I don't know how he did it but that money saved us.

After the baby was born (with health issues that required thirteen surgeries in two years,) I was able to stay home with him until he was healthy enough to go to a nursery school with other kids. And it allowed us to move to a little apartment of our own.

In one day we had been saved by two angels with acts of kindness that touched my very soul. It was forty-one years ago but I have never forgotten them or that day.

It was the day I smiled from morning to night!

36.9K Reads

Readers Comments

sunrain wrote: Thanks for your sharing! God will bless us forever,if we could keep kind and gratitud to others and life.
Aung wrote: Gratitude on steroids! You made me think i have much to be thankful for. What a delight to read your story. Thanks for making my day and changing my attitude.
Joy wrote: What a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing. Many blessings to you.
Sandra wrote: Do you believe in guardian angels. Sounds like you had one. My parents would say that the lord helps those who help themselves, and you certainly were trying to pick yourself up during a very difficult time in your life. I'm sure your husband smiled when he looked down from heaven. And god not only blessed you with what you needed at the time ($) but he also blessed you with a child. 41 years or many more, it is never too late to be thankful. Blessings.
annjav wrote: Money can't buy happiness----but sometimes combined with kindness it makes a good down payment. Bless your benefactors whose generosity helped you in such a difficult time. Thanks for telling your story. Sometimes the gratitude lives on for years and years.
sabrina wrote: It is really great to know that you are still grateful for that day. I wish you, your son and the angels a very very happy life filled with blessings. Thanks for sharing. Smilesss, sabrina
sajha wrote: Beautiful, heart warming and inspiring, wooka! I'm so happy that you and your little boy were helped in such a time of struggle and sorrow. I'm also so glad that the earth angels who helped you allowed compassion to inspire them to that end! Beautiful. Oxoxoxosajha
bookworm58 wrote: God bless you and your baby today and always. I am glad you had support in the tough times after your husbands death. I hope you and the baby are doing okay. Keep us posted on any news.
sethi wrote: A moving , beautiful story. Thank you for sharing with us.
SUBBARAO wrote: It was inspiring. Hope 4 d best. May god bless you & your child. You are great & greatful.

Add A Comment