The Ripple Effect
Photo by Koen Emmers on Unsplash
A Story of Kindness
Once upon a time, there was a single woman raising her two beautiful children, her son, 16 and her daughter, 14. They rented a cozy four bedroom house with a bonus room and a huge back yard. Unfortunately the landlords were dying to find a reason to get rid of this charming trio so they could raise the rent by a couple hundred dollars a month. The cost of living there was already a strenuous undertaking with only one income, and they would usually have no money left at the end of the month. At the beginning of the final month in their home, they were short on rent. This woman was a find a way, make a way kind of gal, and you’d better believe she found a way to get the extra money. So the rent was paid three days late. Bingo, the landlords seized the opportunity and posted an eviction notice on the door.
The woman took the landlords to court to fight this ridiculous situation. The judge looked at the lease agreement, looked at the landlords with smirks on their faces, and finally looked at the desperate woman and her children with overwhelming sadness in his eyes, and said, “I’m so sorry ma’am. There’s nothing I can do here. You have one week from today to remove all of your belongings from the property.” A deep panic sank into her soul as she had no idea where they were going to go or how the hell they were going to pack four bedrooms, a bonus room, a huge kitchen, and two full sized bathrooms in just a week.
Fast-forward. When moving day arrived, the driveway had been littered with four wooden crates to stuff all of their possessions into, and at 4:00pm a truck would arrive to pick the crates up and store them away at a storage facility. The woman had a good friend who was considered family who didn’t have much money, but did have an extra room in her tiny apartment. She offered it to the three of them for a few months until they could get back on their feet. The woman was so grateful for this act of kindness, despite the fact that the apartment was 20 minutes from where the kids were going to school. They would make it work.
One day, the 14 year old daughter was truly struggling with the situation the family was in. She loved the home that they were so mercilessly kicked out of, and now she thought of herself as homeless. Of course anything bad that happens to a hormonal teenager seems to feel like the end of the world. So the woman sat down with her daughter and had a heart-felt chat with her, one on one. She said, “I know this has been hard on all of us, but we have to make the most out of it. One day we will look back on today and be able to laugh about it. The best way we can pay our friend back is to pass this kindness on in the future to someone who might need your help.” They embraced each other tightly with tears soaking the skin on their faces, and the daughter made a promise to pass it on.
Fast-forward. The daughter was now a grown woman, 31 years old, married to the love of her life, kids still just twinkles in her eyes. She became the kind of woman whose kindness sometimes got the best of her when people would take advantage of her compassionate soul. But she swore she would never change, despite having been walked on in the past. She always gave people the benefit of the doubt and offered help in anyway she could.
This morning she stopped at a quickie-mart to buy her favorite cookie after her morning workout. Outside there was a kid, perhaps in his early 20s, with nothing but a backpack and a scooter. As she headed toward the front door, he stopped her and asked if she had any change so he could buy some breakfast at the fast-food place next-door. She said, “I’m so sorry, I don’t have any cash, but I can buy you some breakfast. He thanked her profusely and said, “ My girlfriend kicked me out last night and here I am, with no money and nowhere to go.” “Man, that sucks,” she replied, “but things will get better.” She asked him what he wanted, bought him the food, and went on her merry way. She didn’t have to tell him that she only had $22 in her bank account. She had a roof over her head, a refrigerator and pantry full of food, and a husband who loved her to go home to. So who really needed the money more?
On her way home, her overloaded brain started thinking about her encounter with this stranger. She did what her mother would have done and passed it on. She now just kept it in good faith that one day he would do the same thing for someone else. When she got home, she sat down at her computer, and began to write a story about a single mother with two beautiful children who were kicked out of their cozy four bedroom home…
Afterthought: Health Beyond the Physical
Health isn’t just about our bodies; it’s about our minds, hearts, and connections with others. Acts of kindness, like passing it on, boost mental health by fostering gratitude and releasing feel-good hormones like oxytocin. Supporting others can remind us of our resilience and shared humanity, which strengthens our emotional well-being.
Whether it’s sharing a meal, offering encouragement, or being there for someone in need, these small moments of kindness nourish our spirit and create a ripple effect of positivity. When we care for each other, we also care for ourselves. Because true health is about more than the absence of illness—it’s about the presence of compassion.
Originally Posted 9/21/2016
