Unexpected gestures of Kindness

When parents of kids at Lakewood Elementary School in Dallas found out that the beloved crossing guard (the man assigned to keep their children safe as they walk to and from school) was struggling financially after his wife got sick and his car was repossessed, they decided to do more.

Guard Nathaniel Kendrick was annoyed to see some dads park a car right in the middle of the street in front of the school and asked them to move it. The dads refused, however.

"It's your car. So you get it out of the crosswalk." They smiled, handing him the keys. Yes, the parents had collected funds in just one week and bought the teary-eyed crossing guard a new car.

When a blind man posted in a public Facebook group asking if people could describe their dogs so he could picture them in his mind, thousands took the time out to write detailed descriptions so that he could feel included.

The original request

Comments included the likes of this gem -  “I have a Boston terrier named Elma. Her name means Apple in Turkish because she is the apple of my eye. She is a very sweet and quiet dog and rarely barks. We have to be careful she does not get shut in a bathroom by accident because she is so so quiet. She makes up for no loud barks with the loudest snores you’ve ever heard from a 18-pound animal. She is also an expert blanket hog and particularly likes faux fur blanket throws.”

Some of the 2000 comments that the blind man received 

When a 4 year old cancer survivor (stage 4 neuroblastoma) was asked what he wanted for his brithday, little Whitaker Weinburger answered that he wanted a '100 Bumblebees', referring to the iconic yellow Transformers cartoon character. Stumped by his request, the parents put out a message on social media asking for ideas. And the world responded in style.

Motorists from all over America drove down to line up the roads where the child walks to pre-school, all in yellow cars of all shapes and sizes, including taxis and a dump truck. Neighbours wore their brightest yellow clothing and joined in, cheering for Whitaker. Hasbro & Paramount, the companies behind the Transformers comics and movies, sent the boy boxes with toys and goodies while Jeremy Levy,the voice of Bumblebee in the movies, reached out to contact the child directly.

 

 When a cashier at a gas station fell ill, firefighters arrived to assist him until an ambulance arrived to take him to the hospital. When they realized his replacement had not come and the store was now unmanned, the four fire fighters from the Alto-Bowne Township Fire Department stood behind the counter and looked after all the customers needs till the replacement cashier arrived.

 

Heroes of Kindness:

Since 2017, every year, I take up the #BlogchatterA2Z & #AtoZChallenge and focus on showcasing lovely real-life heroes from around the world. The aim is to remind you that there is still plenty of good human beings all around you... to inspire you to smile once more.

You can follow my 2020 Edition of Heroes of Kindness here.

Want more stories of compassion? I have Hundreds of 'Heroes of Kindness' to brighten your day here:

2017 edition (Articles - 40, Heroes - 67)

2018 edition (Articles - 34, Heroes - 52)
2019 edition (Articles - 31, Heroes - 42)

Heroes of Kindness - Indian edition
Heroes of Kindness - My Interviews