Let Kind Tales Help Warm Your Easter Readers Share Their Accounts Of Random Acts Of Kindness
The past weeks have been filled with wrenching misery. Children and adults in our community have died or been horribly injured by fire. We lost to brutality a 2-year-old boy, whose innocent, trusting eyes will haunt for a long time. A 33-year-old woman’s suicide claimed not only her life, but the life of the 91-year-old woman entrusted in her care.
Some mornings, we open the newspaper with dread. What fresh hell awaits? But take heart, this Easter morning. Acts of goodness, of kindness, of selflessness permeate our community. Joan Leigh’s fifth-grade class at Jefferson Elementary School in Pullman have been practicing random acts of kindness all year. They sent us some wonderful examples, included below in this twice-yearly look at kindness acts going on in our community.
Goodness is there if we look for it, if we do it, and if we thank those who give of themselves in ways that may seem small but make a big difference. Spiritualist Ram Dass once wrote: “Suffering exists, pain exists, cruelty and injustice exist. We can’t deny that, and we can’t eliminate it all no matter how hard we try. What we can do is bring loving kindness into each situation in which we find ourselves.”
Barbara Graham of Spokane: On April 3 I was at the Fred Meyer in the Valley with my two young children. I was buying baby food, diapers and formula. I had quite a bit of it. When the cashier rang up my total, she took $10 off it. I asked her why. She said the lady in front of me had given her $10 to take off my total. We were both shocked. I don’t know if she felt sorry for me because I had so much food for my kids. But it was really nice of her and she was gone before I could thank her. I hope she reads this and knows I thought this was really nice.
Anonymous older woman of Spokane: Kudos to Kevin. While I was sweeping off my front walk after the birds had a binge on mountain ash berries, a tall athletic young man drove into my driveway. He said, “Here let me finish that.” I did have a crutch under my left arm and the broom in my right arm. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed. What a nice gesture. He said, after we exchanged names, “Call me if you have anything you want done. I’ll do it for free.” Was this a great experience or what?
Lori Humphrey of Spokane: Last Memorial Day, my 5-year-old son Bradley and I went to the cemetery. Bradley noticed that many of the older headstones had no flowers on them. He asked why and I told him that maybe those people no longer had folks living in Spokane to decorate their graves. We kept walking and after awhile, I looked back to see Bradley walking the other way with an arm full of dandelions.
As I got closer, I found that he had decorated some of the gravestones with the dandelions. I asked him what he was doing. He said he felt sad those graves didn’t have flowers so he was going to decorate them himself. He placed dandelions on about 25 gravestones. I will always remember this sweet gesture of kindness by my son.
Kristy Becker of Spokane: I had just gotten into an accident on Nevada right next to the Video Etc. store. When I went inside, the lady in the store was so nice. She gave me a pop. She kept on comforting me, told me it was OK. I wasn’t hurt, but I don’t think I could have gotten through it as well without her. I never got her name, but she was wonderful.
Alanna Borgen Crouch of Spokane: Easter reminds us that to discover the joy of giving we will discover the reason for living. My mother-in-law lives her life this way. When my mother Norma Borgen passed away in 1990, I not only lost my best friend but an annual tradition of mom making angel food cake for me on my birthday. However, my mother-in-law Merna Crouch carries on the tradition. She bakes an angel food cake on my birthday. This unselfish act means more than I can say.
Peggy Burt of Cheney: I didn’t know my neighbor Nadine very well, but she seemed frail and lackluster and rarely left her home. One wintry day, my 6-year-old came home from school with symptoms of influenza. His 4-year-old brother quickly joined him and their sister was not far behind. My husband was out of town on business when suddenly the virus hit me, too. I could not move from my bed. Out of nowhere, like an angel, Nadine appeared. She cooked meals, washed laundry, did dishes. She was a quiet, steady dynamo. I was afraid she would catch the bug, but miraculously, it didn’t happen. The memories of her willingness to “love her neighbor” will always be with me.
Cheryl Beck of Spokane: Three weeks ago, some very good friends offered to take our 10-year-old son skiing at Silver Mountain. We don’t ski, but our son had learned at Christmastime. The fellow who took him skiing knew we didn’t ski, so he took the time to videotape our son skiing. He put the tape to music, then invited us to dinner a week later and presented us with a wonderful videotape of our son skiing, something we never would have seen otherwise.
A.M. Manes of Spokane: A male teenager was walking home from Shadle. He was on Belt between Wellesley and Central. It was garbage day. It was a windy day and there were several overturned garbage cans. I saw him walking to the garbage can that had fallen into the street. I thought: He’s going to kick the can in the street so it will be hit by a car. Instead, he picked up the can and set it up straight on the people’s property. He set more up in the same way, too.
Madeline Christophiades of Spokane: I was stopped at a stoplight on Country Homes Boulevard and I watched a man’s load of wood fall out of his truck. I then watched five drivers jump out of their cars, grab the wood, put it back on the truck and jump back in their cars. The signal changed and they all went on their way. It was a wonderful thing to see.
Pam Johnson of Colfax: The summer of 1992 my mom was sick with cancer and my two small children and I drove to Seattle often to see her. One hot day in June, my car overheated outside Ellensburg. A kind trucker went out of his way to help me get my car to a garage in town. I’m sorry I never got his name but I did notice a sticker on his windshield that said “I (heart symbol) my wife.”
Irene Maines of Spokane: A few weeks ago when walking home from Tidyman’s, a big rain started coming down in torrents. A young couple stopped and gave me a ride home. Their kindness was much appreciated and makes me glad I live in a community where people are thoughtful.
Amy England of Spokane: Right after we moved to Spokane, my husband Rick took a job with a temporary service. They placed him at Key Tronic as a printer. Shortly after, I gave birth to our second child. When she was 2 months old, doctors told us that she had a problem with the growth of her skull bones which would require intensive surgery to correct. We found out it would cost at least $25,000.
Although my husband was new at his job, when fellow printer Donna Brash heard about our situation, she went to work. On very short notice Donna’s co-workers came up with $110. Happily, further X-rays determined that our daughter didn’t need the surgery after all. But when Rick tried to return the money, everyone said we should keep it anyway.
Betty Hartill of Chewelah: We were having car trouble when we got caught in a cloudburst. We put on our lights and wipers, followed the white line until the car stopped and we rolled onto the shoulder. We got out hoping someone would stop by and take my husband to a phone. I said, “I’ll get out and wave my cane” but before I could a car stopped and a young man asked if he could help. When he learned we lived just a few miles away, he offered to take us home. His first name was Jeff. I wish I could remember his last name. I shall always remember him with kindness, because I could easily have been hit in the darkness.
Bonnie Sanborn of Sandpoint: We had a crew of 10 men staying at Connie’s Motor Inn. They had been with us two months and were very nice men and more like friends than guests. One night, the desk clerk Esther received a call from one of them. They were working at a dam 30 miles away and said they would love to have pizza on their break. They were tired of the same old sandwiches. Esther ordered pizza for the crew, picked it up and drove it to them. This was very much like Esther. She is a special lady.
Shannon and Jim Egan of Spokane: Several years ago we left Spokane for a trip to Yakima. It was two days before Christmas. Our Ford Ranger was loaded down with luggage and a huge box of wrapped gifts. The roads weren’t bad, but fog cut down our visibility considerably. Less than 15 miles from town, the box of gifts blew clear out of the truck and packages littered the interstate.
We had barely pulled off the road, when we saw that a man and woman in a black car had pulled up behind us and had most of the gifts already gathered up. Within minutes, the work was done and the kindly young couple then disappeared into the fog. It was actually an eerie experience because we don’t remember passing the black car. Also strange was the fact that for those few minutes, no other car came speeding out of the fog to run over the gifts or one of us gathering them.
Debbie Bever of Spokane: My friend Marcia Johnson told me about an incident at the airport several years ago. I’ve never forgotten it. Marcia was going through a really rough period of life. She was picking up her sister at the airport when she noticed a young man 19 or so, who was in distress. He was near tears and had a few items of clothing in a torn bag. She approached the young man and said: “I have a son about your age and I also have broad shoulders. I’m going to the gift shop and and find a shopping bag for your clothing. If you feel like talking, I’ll be glad to listen.”
When she returned with a new sack, the young man related that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. They had moved to Spokane together, but her father insisted he leave. The father bought him a plane ticket and dumped him at the airport. He was heartbroken. Marcia explained that some things in life don’t always turn out the way you want, but they are all learning experiences and most of the time, things turn out for the best. He calmed down, thanked her and caught his flight. Marcia told me her own troubles seemed much smaller after talking to that young man.
Colleen Hinman of Jefferson Elementary in Pullman: There was a new girl in my school. When she came she was kind of short and people used to tease her. My friends Kelly, Naomi, Jamie, Shannon, Beth and I asked her if she wanted to play with us because she looked kind of lonely. She did and we became really good friends.
Terry Neal of Spokane: It had been a long haul - a 16-hour flight before I landed safe in Seattle with my new infant daughter from the Philippines. I was exhausted and overwhelmed by customs. In my hands, I held my baby, the stroller, the video camera, my purse and a piece of luggage. Just then, an angel dressed in airport navy blue with the most beautiful Scandinavian accent said: “Please, let me help you.” We bypassed customs and walked to this airport nursery with sofas, baby cribs and toys. The angel then brought me the best cup of coffee I had ever tasted and was gone. If that angel hadn’t earned her wings yet, she did that day.
Anonymous of Spokane: Several decades ago when I was in college, the entire campus got involved in a project which paired college students with handicapped students for a day of carnival activities on campus. I was paired with Sara. She walked around with me all day, stopping occasionally to touch my shiny choker with the letter “M” on it. She never spoke. At the end of the day, I gave her the choker. Sara reached in her pocket and pulled out a plastic silver dollar coin and pressed it tightly in my hand. When Sara got on the bus, someone yelled: “Where is Sara’s silver dollar? She won’t go anywhere without it!” I told the supervisor what had happened and he told me Sara obviously wanted me to have it or she would never have parted with it. I was so touched, I shared the experience with the man I was dating at the time. He never said a word and we never spoke of the incident again. Several years later, when I was attending graduate school in Spokane, he called me. I told him I was having a difficult time. Several days later, I received a small package from this man and inside I found a small gold necklace with the letter “M” in it.
Teri Burch of Coeur d’Alene: Last summer when it was so hot we decided to take our girls to the theater to cool off. We stood in line a long time and when we got up to the ticket booth, we realized they wouldn’t take checks. As we were debating what to do, myself near tears, a young man with long hair and big baggy pants said, “I’ve got extra cash, you just write the check out to me and I’ll give you the money you need.”
It was so nice and unexpected. Sometimes by appearances, you make judgments about people. We thanked him, wrote him a check and were then able to sit in the coolness of the theater.
Evan Wood and Kate Murphy of Jefferson Elementary in Pullman: This summer as we were walking home from school, we noticed an older man going for a walk. He had on an oxygen tank and a cane. He said “Hi” and we said “Hi” back. After a little while, we saw the old man sitting down and thought he might be resting, but then we saw blood. He had tripped over his cane and fell into a pile of gravel and rocks. We helped him up. He had a piece of gravel in his forehead and big cuts on his arms and legs. We helped him back to his house and his daughter took him to the hospital.
Carla Bezdicek of Lamont: Our neighbor Gertrude Johnson has lived in Lamont most of her 88 years. She and her husband Spiv have been married 68 years. When someone new moves to town, she gives them the “key” to the city, a loaf of homemade bread fresh from her oven. The children in town are invited into her home for cookies and tea when the weather is cold. What is remarkable about this woman is that she has been crippled with arthritis most of her life, yet she still finds the strength to make so many people happy.
Telva Bolkcom of Athol: When I was getting ready to move, many people offered to help me pack if I’d just call them. But one lady named Jo Boyle arrived on moving day with garbage bags, boxes, tape and newspapers. She rolled up her sleeves and said “When do we start?” There is a tremendous difference between talking and doing. Jo showed she cared and it made my day.
Lynda Kennedy of Spokane: My daughter, preparing for a June wedding, was shopping at a local fabric store. She was at the checkout counter with more than $200 worth of fabric for her bridesmaids’ dresses. She mentioned a tight budget to her friend when a lady behind her offered a half-off coupon, saying she remembered preparing for her own wedding. This gesture was accepted and much appreciated, especially coming from a complete stranger.