Love thy neighbor.
It’s a true pillar of the Golden Rule – a set of basic principals and guidance to live by and be fulfilled by. Treat others the same way that you’d like to be treated. If we recognize that we are surrounded by people who go through the same feelings and events that we do ourselves, selflessness can easily become a common practice.
Such is the case for Aldon O’neill Ward III of Mobile, Alabama.
In a recent story, he testifies to the power of love and shows the world his golden heart. One day, while working in his yard, he notices a familiar elderly woman taking a walk.
Over the years this woman traversed the same path daily with her husband.
But on this day she was alone, with tears in her eyes. When he inquired as to where her better half was, she illustrated her loss with a trembling voice. No sooner did Ward drop his work to run into the road and comfort the woman.
The bittersweet story was captured on his home’s security camera, and he shared it on his Facebook page.
It was widely received and regarded for its next level kindness.
Along with the footage, Ward shared some words, telling the story across the years.
“Since 2011 I’ve seen an older couple walking the neighborhood every morning and evening. Matching windbreaker outfits, large white new balance sneakers and a stick in hand.”
He became familiar with the friendly couple in this manner. They would wave to him and blow kisses at his dogs. They would entertain an exchange about the weather, admiring both the sun and the rain.
“We never exchanged names but I knew where they lived and they knew where the boys and I lived.”
Years passed by this way, solidifying their neighborly relationship.
But the day Ward found the woman walking alone was the day he completely activated his heart for her.
His post continues on:
“I’m watering my freshly laid sod. Griswold, my standard poodle, is close by vigilantly protecting me from dragon flies and the occasional squirrel. A windbreaker suit swooshes slowly down the street below. Alone, the woman approaches. I wave, she waves. I exclaim in a joking manner, ‘where’s the better half?’”
Despite the fact that he didn’t even know her name, he was still invested in her life. But the woman looked back to him, slowly shaking her head in a quiet despair.
“She looked up at me through her large blinder style sunglasses and with a trembling voice said “I don’t have him anymore. My heart sank.”
As the footage shows, Ward stops everything he’s doing to run out into the street to greet his mourning neighbor.
Overwhelmed with love for his neighbor, he embraces her.
“’Ma’am?’ I said, as I approached her. She turned and with tears streaming from behind here large sunglasses not another word was spoken, we hugged. Big hugged. Like she was my mom or my grandmother. She sobbed into my chest for a moment and said ‘I’m just trying do the things that we used to so I still feel like he’s around…. I needed that hug more than you know, thank you for all the music.'”
Sometimes a gentle act of kindness is all it takes to make a stranger’s day.
Check out this moving story and the Facebook post for yourself below!
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