Stories of Kindness from Around the World

My son brought the briefcase home, and I spent about an hour on the phone until I located the owner of it. Yay! Persistence pays off! I’m met him at the train station this next day to give it to him.

Here is the story he told me: “On March 29, 2007, he was riding the train home from his job in Osby. (he lives in Lund) He had his briefcase between his feet on the floor. He fell asleep around Hässleholm, but woke up about 15 minutes later as the train pulled into the station in Höör. He woke up to see 2 young men running off the train with his briefcase. So he just sat there and waited until he got to Lund ( 2 more stops). Later he made a police report, filed a report with his insurance and just replaced everything in the briefcase.” That was 2 months previous.

So, on the phone with me, he acts very suspicious about how my son found it. And he says over and over again that he doesn’t really NEED it returned, but it’d be fun to get it back. I understand his big hint… he doesn’t want to pay a reward. But I NEVER asked him for a reward! I spent my own money and time to track him down to do a good deed, and he doesn’t act at all grateful. 

As I handed him the bag at the train station, he continued to act suspicious.  He reluctantly offered me $12 as a reward. I refused adamantly. I explained that this was about doing a good deed for another person. After about a minute of staring down at the bag, which I'd placed near his feet, he broke into a smile. Finally he acted grateful and thanked me. Then I left him there at the train station to go through his things and continue on the next train home.

I'm so glad that my son and I could do this good deed for him, but we learned that some people make it hard for you to do it. Their suspicions get in the way of them accepting kindness. We had to be incredibly persistent to give him his briefcase back and do this kindness for him, but the world is better off because of it!