An act of kindness doesn’t have to be big for it to mean the world to someone. Nor does it have to involve money or a material object. Sometimes just a few heartfelt words is all it takes to really lift a person’s spirits.
What started out as a difficult day for one sick grandmother, quickly turned into a day that she would never forget.
During her hospitalization for pneumonia, 88-year-old Gloria Porter watched the construction taking place outside of her hospital window. Ironworkers were building the new front entrance to the hospital.
To her surprise, one of the construction workers who saw her at the window waved at her. Gloria waved back.
He had another idea…
The ironworker, Jeff Reick, was inspired and decided that a simple wave just wasn’t enough. He was able to find some chalk, and in large letters, he wrote “GET WELL” on one of the beams facing Gloria’s window.
Jeff told WTAE:
“I saw the lady at the window looking out, I thought it would be a kind gesture just to tell her to get well.”
She loved it.
This spontaneous expression of tenderness touched Gloria and put a smile on her face.
“I just thought that was precious.”
Gloria, being moved with gratitude, decided to send a message of her own. She had been watching the workers for some time and was particularly concerned when they climbed the scaffolding on one cold and windy day.
Gloria decided to write her own heartfelt message.
The nursing staff helped her to find some paper on which she penned her concerns and care with two simple words: STAY SAFE. Gloria placed the sign in the window where the workers could see it.
Jeff shared:
“That sign kind of crushed me. I don’t know how she knew ‘Stay safe’, It’s kind of like ironworker lingo to stay safe. When I saw ‘Stay safe,’ in the window, I just snapped my head around, looked around, and was like, ‘Hey, did you see that?’”
A little bit of kindness goes a long way.
What started out as a dull, dreary day for both Gloria and Jeff, turned into a bright and cheery day that all started with a wave and a simple word of encouragement.
Jeff put it best when he said,
“I just try to lead by example and be a good person. I just hope everybody would do things like that because the world is not a very nice place.”
The hospital staff and the ironworkers both took photos of the messages before Gloria was released from the hospital. News of the incident spread quickly, and the priceless exchange of kindness and care sparked hope and generosity in someone else.
The very next day, a woman came by the construction site to deliver an envelope. Inside the envelope was money to buy lunch for the construction workers.
Kindness spreads quickly.
Jeff didn’t go looking for someone to be kind to, he saw a need right in front of him and he stepped up to fulfill that need, and Gloria returned the favor.
You never know what a person’s going through – but you can make a big difference with just a few nice words. Hopefully, this story inspires you to perform your own simple acts of kindness.
Watch the video below to hear Gloria and Jeff talk about their sweet note exchange!
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