Do you sometimes wonder why we crossed paths with someone?
Our friends didn’t come to us by accident. There’s something deeper than accidentally bumping into a person and finding the most profound connection with them. It makes us wonder why we met and if there was a special purpose for the newfound bond.
This is the same story as this crane operator and his friend Harold.
Shawn Beveridge worked as a crane operator in a construction site near a nursing home. It was there when he noticed a man sitting across the site every day from the moment they started working until he shuts down the crane. Curious, he went and talked to him one day to say hello.
It turns out Harold used to be a crane operator.
When he was much healthier, Harold operated a crane as Shawn did for more than 50 years. He got sick and was sent to a nursing home. He said he couldn’t believe that he’d still be able to see a crane and up-close at his condition and age.
Harold also told Shawn that he was nearing the end of his life.
He was suffering from many ailments, including some clogged heart valves that have been with him for years. He knew he wouldn’t live much longer. This changed Shawn’s perspective so much and knew he needed to do something for his new friend.
Shawn laid out a great deal with Harold.
He agreed to bring him coffee every morning, treat him to lunch of his choice twice a week, and talk to him after his shift. In exchange, Shawn wanted to learn more crane operating tips from a man who worked with cranes for 50 years. It was a win-win situation.
Since then, Shawn’s post reached over 204,000 shares.
People were moved by their newfound friendship. Shawn said he received more than 4,000 messages from different people who wanted some updates about Harold. That prompted him to create a dedicated Facebook page for The Great Harold.
Shawn posts updates about Harold’s situation, especially on his health.
He gladly updates them about their recent encounters, even the news that Harold was moved to another home. Coincidentally, Shawn was assigned to the same place so he could still visit his dear friend.
He kept in touch with him, calling him from time to time.
One day, he received a call that he was sick, and because of the hospital’s COVID protocols, he couldn’t visit him. However, the supervisor named Greg told him he could do a window visit. Shawn did so and surprised his old friend, not knowing it would be their last.
Last October 19, Harold called the hospital to check on Harold, only to hear the sad news.
It turns out that Harold caught COVID, and with all his complications, he couldn’t pull through. In his last post, Shawn recalled how it was serendipitous that he accepted that job years ago and met this old man to be his friend.
For Shawn, their meeting was because of fate, and Harold was out there to teach him a lesson.
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