A little kindness goes a long way. This may be cliche, but it is a fact.
Many people can prove that this is a reality, because even the smallest good deeds have made impactful changes in their lives. According to the Mental Health Foundation, people who are kind and compassionate see clear benefits to their well-being and happiness. They may even live longer. Kindness can also help reduce stress and improve our emotional well-being.
Being kind does not only benefit the person you are being kind to, but also to your own health and mental strength.
Showing kindness is easy, and even the smallest act can resonate in huge waves, if done right. Acting on an opportunity to show kindness can be quite challenging, though.
Seeing someone in need can urge a person to help, but hesitating sometimes prevents people from doing acts of kindness. Seizing the chance to do good is something that we should all learn.
A perfect example of grabbing the chance to do good is this kind woman.
Sonya MacMillan, 25 years old, was in line at the cashier at a Market Basket store in front of an elderly man, when she noticed that the senior citizen seemed to be troubled. She later found out that the 84-year-old man forgot his wallet.
“So he looked really flustered and he was like ‘oh my god I don’t have my wallet’ as I was cashing out with my groceries. I was like ‘oh you don’t have a lot you can just go on mine and I’ll pay for you,'” she shared with CBS Boston.
The Nashua woman took the chance and made it her mission to help the man in need.
She paid for the man’s groceries and did it with a smile. The elderly man was moved by her good heart, and thanked her at that moment. After that, the man insisted to get Sonya’s name and address.
The elderly man wanted to pay her back and properly thank her for her kindness.
A few days later, Sonya received something in her mail that brought her to tears.
She was checking her mailbox when she found a note addressed to her. It was from the elderly man. The letter read:
“You saved me a lot of trouble, my wife was ill and I wanted to get back to her. I’m not very young anymore 84-years-old and it’s not a surprise I left my wallet at home. I shall always remember your kindness.”
Sonya could not help but be touched by the man’s sweet words of appreciation. It also pulled on her heartstrings getting a glimpse into his life. She told CBS Boston:
“It brought tears to my eyes because of what he was going through at the time. You never really think about what’s going on in someone else’s life. So for me to do something for him when he’s going through a hardship at home with his wife being sick – I just felt really good about it.”
The thank you note had a $15 check as payback to what she paid to the grocery store.
Sonya is a teacher during the day and a server at night. She doesn’t plan on cashing the check though. Instead, she hopes that the elderly man finds a way to pay the kindness forward.
“I have something that I look at every morning when I leave my room it says ‘be the reason that someone smiles today’ so I see that when I leave my house. That was what I could do to make him smile that day,” she said.
Find out more about this inspiring story by watching the video below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
