Alex Carson
It’s a Messy World
Our world seems to get darker and more depressing all the time. There is so much to worry about these days. There is global warming, asteroids passing dangerously close to the Earth, famine, disease, and awful people with no conscience. In a world like this, it makes you wonder if there are nice people out there anymore. Fortunately, when you hear stories like this one, it gives you faith that there are good people out there. Also, small acts of kindness go a long way.
Joyce Rhinehart
Joyce Rhinehart is a mother, and she had a young grandson named Blake. She loved spending time with him, and she often set up regular dates for the two to spend time together. They would often go to the zoo, to the park, to the aquarium, and out for ice cream. On one of their dates, Joyce took Blake to Rita’s Italian Ice for a treat. After ordering their ice cream, they sat down and ate. When Blake was done, the two headed out to the car when they saw a family sitting at a picnic table. Joyce never expected their June 8th date to have such an impact.
A Happy Family
The family sitting at the bench looked like a typical, happy family complete with two parents, their son, and their daughter. As Rita and Blake were walking out and she saw the family, she asked if it would be alright if she took their picture. They all agreed, and they smiled while holding up their ice cream cones. Rita gave her phone to the couple’s daughter so that she could send the photo to herself, and the family would have the photo as well. When the daughter gave Joyce her phone back, the whole family thanked her for taking the photo, and she went on her way.
Going On
After leaving Rita’s, Joyce took Blake home and gave him a big hug and kiss goodbye. She let him know that she would see him next week for their date, and she headed home. She didn’t think any more about her date with her grandson or the family that she had met.
An Unknown Number
A few days after her June 8th date with Blake, Joyce got a text message from an unknown number. Usually, when she got these kinds of texts, she expected it to be a spam message. This message was far from spam. The message read, “Dear Madam, you took our picture in front of Rita’s on June 8th. My wife passed away yesterday, and this is the last picture we have together as a family. Please accept my deepest gratitude for your kindness. It means the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Rita was floored.
Posting On Facebook
Joyce decided to post her story on Facebook. She told the story of her date with Blake, and how she decided to take a picture of the family enjoying their ice cream. She also mentioned the text message that she received from the father. At the end of the post, she wrote, “Never underestimate a simple act of random kindness. I corresponded back with him a few more times and found out his wife had been ill for the past year. My heart is heavy for this sweet family I don’t even know and the tremendous gift that was left to them cause I listened to my gut that day. I’m in awe. This has the hand of God.”
A Viral Post
Shortly after Joyce created her post on Facebook, it quickly went viral. In just a few days, the post received 321 comments, over 3,000 likes, and over 540 shares. She couldn’t believe how many people had seen her post.
Feeling Thankful
Joyce is so happy that she listened to her gut and took the photo of the family. If she had not, this family wouldn’t have photo evidence of the last happy memory that they had together as a family. She knew that the photo must have meant the world to the family, and she was grateful that she was able to give them such an amazing gift.
Good Deeds
Joyce was glad that she did a good deed. She wished that her grandson was old enough to understand what happened. It would have been great if Blake would have been old enough to understand what she did that day and what it meant to the family, but he was too young. She just hopes that one day, she can teach him the importance of good deeds.
A Better Place
There may be plenty of dangers in the world today that makes it seem like a mean and scary place. Fortunately, there are people in the world like Joan, who show that if things aren’t always as bad as they seem.
