Life rarely takes us down a straight road, and it’s okay to feel upset when things aren’t going your way. But it’s important to be grateful and humble, too, remembering that some people have it a lot worse than most of us could imagine.
Take Eric, a homeless man who was featured on a video by YouTube magician, Rahat Hossain (or MagicofRahat on YouTube).
Being grateful in a single moment changed this man’s whole life.
Originally, Eric had been the subject of a video where Rahat pretended he had won the lottery.
Rahat was moved by Eric’s response to his “lottery win”. Despite having next to nothing, Eric told Rahat that he wanted to share his money with a friend.
Since the video went viral, Rahat had been inundated with messages from people asking how they could give money to Eric.
So Rahat set up an online fund, just for Eric with a special plan for the money raised.
A total of $44,000 was donated to Eric, and Rahat broke down the money: $11,000 would go on rent for one year; $3,700 would be spent on furniture and appliances; $2,900 would go on utilities, cable and insurance; and $5,000 would go on supplies, food and clothes.
The remaining $21,400 would be placed in a joint bank account that Eric could access, monitored by Rahat.
Once Rahat explains how the money will be distributed, the video cuts to the big reveal.
First off, we’re given a tour of Eric’s new house.
It’s small, but clean, bright, and white – a big step up from living on the streets.
Rahat and his friend buy furniture and appliances for Eric, including a mattress, kitchen utensils, a wooden dressing table, a couple of sofas, and a kitchen table and chairs.
Finally, it’s time for Rahat to surprise Eric with his new home.
Rahat meets Eric in his motel, where Eric has a surprise of his own – he’s landed a job. Rahat says they should celebrate with dinner – but, of course, he has another destination in mind.
On the car journey, Rahat tells Eric that he needs to stop off at his house to grab something. He brings Eric with him… and that’s when the truth comes out.
Standing at the front door, looking into Eric’s new home, Rahat says:
“So, I’ve got to be honest with you: this isn’t really my house. This is your house.”
For a moment, Eric can only stare around him in shock, lost for words.
He looks over and sees the “Welcome home” sign on the wall, then says:
“You gotta be kidding me, right?”
Imagine being gifted your own home after living on the streets for so long. Your emotions would be indescribable.
Eric laughs in disbelief, then gives Rahat a long, grateful hug.
It truly is heartwarming to see how appreciative Eric is to have basic accommodation, and a reminder to all of us to be grateful for what we have.
More than half a million people experience homelessness in the US on any given night, but thanks to the kindness of Rahat and the public, Eric was given a second chance at life.
See the touching moment Eric gets a new home in its entirety in the video below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
